Fall to Pieces
by bauerfreak
Summary: AU: Nick has just gone through a messy divorce, leaving him and his twelve year old daughter hurt and confused. Will they be able to let someone else into their lives?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I am back with yet another Nick as a daddy fic, which of course I love to write. I am trying not to sound like a complete idiot, because I know close to nothing about gymnastics, but have always been a fan. If any of you are familiar with it, do let me know if you are available to give me suggestions about stuff. Without further ado, please enjoy and review._

Though he'd been working as a CSI for the better part of two decades, Nick Stokes hardly ever got tired of the job. There was always something new for him to learn and master, causing him to get better and better at his job each and every time he clocked in at CSI Headquarters. New technology came out all the time, which he got to tinkle and play around with – it was like being a little kid. As Catherine had said many times, they were all just little kids being paid to solve puzzles. Nick absolutely loved his job, and these days he liked to throw all his energy into his work.

Today was one of his good days, as he tapped the rhythm to the song on the radio on the steering wheel, Sara was sitting next to him in the Denali, heading off to a crime scene near the northwest side of town. The slight indentation on his left ring finger wasn't bothering him today like it sometimes did, a reminder of the nightmare that had been the last year of his life. He was moving on, and not looking back; turning a new page in his life. As Nick began singing along to the Maroon 5 song, Sara looked over at him and let out a little chuckle- one of those that kind of came out through her nose, letting all who heard it know just how ridiculous she perceived Nick to be acting right now. Not that she minded. Childish Nick was much more fun to work with than depressed-having-marital-problems Nick. He wasn't always like this, but Sara would take his good moods when she got it.

Nick continued for a few moments, but then looked over at his partner for the day, shooting her a look that showed he knew just how ridiculous he was acting. He enjoyed amusing her, and knowing that he was now back in a place where his personality was light enough to make others laugh at him. Months before, he knew he brought people down. It's not like he could really help it. His wife had walked out on him – up and left to New York to pursue her business career. How could he not act depressed when who he thought was the love of his life suddenly fell out of love with him? And how could he have enough energy to face a double shift when all his energy went into caring for the daughter she abandoned? It still made Nick sick to his stomach, how she could just take off to another state, thousands of miles from her own child, and not have a second thought about it. She'd said she'd been ignoring her career for too long, and being a full-time mother just wasn't working for her anymore. So, selfishly, she'd opted for the holiday-mother title, leaving Nick to raise their now twelve year old daughter by himself most of the time.

"You better not be laughin' at me." Nick challenged her as they rolled down the streets of Las Vegas, this warm fall afternoon. His still amused look caused Sara to shake her head at him again.

"And what else am I supposed to do when you can't hit a single note?" Her own face showed her utter amusement with the situation, and general fondness of her partner. Sara was so glad to have her old Nicky back. The one that would bust her chops over reading foreniscs magazines, hang out with her when he knew she was feeling lonely, and of course make her laugh. There were times when she feared she'd never see him smile again. His face had been dead for months, without a single flash of that thousand-watt smile, or the laugh lines that went along with it.

"Well excuse me if I'm not Elvis and I want to bust out a tune." He continued with their flirty banter. Nick definitely felt lighter these days. The mess and hurt of the divorce was slowly dissipating. There would always be a little bit of pain involved, but he thought he was dealing with it much better now. It helped to put all his concentration into work. His daughter, Madeline, wasn't always in the greatest of moods, and while he tried to get her to talk about her feelings, it sometimes just seemed easier to let her stay cooped up in her room IM-ing her friends and bury himself in case files in his office. It saved him the emptiness he got when all he got as a response was a shoulder shrug, or some form of a negative or affirmative sound.

The song ended, and the new Britney Spears single came on, causing both adults to groan depreciatively. Sara reached out and turned the radio down so they wouldn't have to listen to it.

"Maddie loves that song. I don't see what she sees in that ho-bag." Nick said, admitting that he regularly didn't understand his pre-teen and her obsessions. She'd loved Britney from the beginning, through all the drama, bare-footed trips to public restrooms, and questionable parenting skills. Sometimes, though, he didn't feel like he ranked much higher in the parental department than Ms. Spears did.

"Nice." Sara shook her head. "How's she doing these days anyway?"

Nick shrugged and sighed. "Okay sometimes. She's still pretty upset about Lauren leaving."

"I'll bet. Is she talking more now?" The kid was like a safe which no one knew the combination to. Sara had tried talking to her on multiple occasions but only got one-word answers. Apparently, Nick got about the same.

"Not really. She just coops herself up in her bedroom when she gets home. Says about five words a day to me."

"Wow." Sara said, exasperated. "Have you thought about sending her to therapy?"

"I don't know. I think therapy's overrated. She's just goin' through a rough time." He looked straight forward, his mind wandering to his twelve year old, who just this morning managed to sneak out the front door without saying good morning to him.

"Well, I think it could-"

Nick's cell phone rang, cutting off Sara's thoughts. He kept one hand on the wheel, and managed to clip the phone away from its holder, flip it open, and bring it to his ear in a matter of seconds. His eyebrows furrowed as he checked the caller ID.

"Madeline? You okay?" He answered, his voice showing his obvious concern. Sara turned the radio down even further, though when she did, she felt like she was eavesdropping, which she wanted to do but knew it wasn't polite. She looked out the window and tried to concentrate on something else, but in a car it was pretty much impossible.

"Dad, can you come pick me up?" The seventh grader requested from her end of the phone, sitting on a bench outside the Vitaly Scherbo School of Gymnastics, still dressed in her leotard and workout pants. Her overloaded backpack and workout bag were sitting next to her, and she played with the drawstring to distract herself from how angry she was.

Nick glanced at his watch. It was only four thirty in the afternoon, and his daughter was scheduled to practice until six. "It's only four thirty, Mad and I'm at work. Why aren't you practicing?"

Normally, she was driven home by the Murphys, who had a daughter in the same level and lived a few streets away. Madeline would be home alone for a little while before Nick returned home in the evening.

"I'm just not. Can you pick me up or not?" She asked him shortly, not in the mood for conversation. He always asked too many quesitons, and she really didn't want to explain to him what had gone on at practice. Hopefully, she could just ignore him and he would shut up like he normally did.

Nick sighed heavily and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Well, I'm headin' to a crime scene with Sara. I guess I could swing by and drop you off at home."

"Fantastic."

"And you're gonna be explainin' to me why you're not training like you're supposed to right now." He let her know. Nick could tell she wasn't in a good mood, and sensed something must have gone on at the gym. Who knew, with middle school-aged girls. Maybe they'd succeeeded in a mutiny and burned the balance beam down.

"Or not. I'll be waiting outside." She clicked her cell phone off and stuffed it into the front pocket of her backpack, then zipped it roughly. Her finger caught in the teeth, so she snatched her hand away and then slapped the pocket as payback. Everything was angering her today. It was her best friend Emma's mother's birthday, and she was talking all day about what they had planned to do. Though she'd tried to be nice about it, the way she went on and on and bubbled about her mother upset Madeline, because she felt she would never have that relationship with her own mother. How could she? She lived a thousand miles away. Madeline had thought she was special to her mother, but obviously she'd been wrong. As soon as she'd gotten in the way of her dreams, she'd ditched her and her dad, and taken off into the sunset for a better life. And if all that wasn't enough to upset her, she'd gotten a lunch detention for not paying attention in History class, and then at gymnastics practice, the coach would not shut up about keeping her toes pointed and reaching a full handstand on bars, so she'd snapped. She'd challenged her to "Get her fat slobby ass on bars and try pirouetting without breaking her neck". Needless to say, she had been asked to leave for the day, which was why she was now sitting on a bench outside while her teammates practiced.

Her father would not be happy with her at all. She could hear him now, asking her where she'd gotten her mouth, as if she would know. Madeline considered just not telling him about that part, but he had a way of finding every little detail out when she was in trouble. Not that he cared about anything else she did. It seemed the only time she had his attention these days was when she misbehaved. Otherwise, he just sat in his office working on his cases from work. If she could avoid looking at his eyes, she could probably manage to lie just a little bit and not have to repeat to him what she'd told her coach. But then again, if he found out from someone else, she would be in even more trouble with him. He loathed lying, but sometimes she'd do anything to avoid his displeasure with her for just a little longer.

Madeline felt bad being angry at her dad all the time, but alas, he was the only parent around for her to take her hurt and anger out on. Though she acted like she was annoyed by him most of the time, Madeline still cared for him desperately like any girl loves her father. She strived for his approval most of the time, but it got old after a while, when he seemed to be so consumed in his own problems and pain. For a while, she'd tried extra hard to be the perfect kid, because she thought that maybe if she got perfect grades, and did really well in gymnastics, he would be so proud of her that he'd forget about how depressed he was. She tried that at first, but it got exhausting fast, and it seemed no matter what she did, she never got the approval she needed. So, she just shut down on him. They barely held conversations, and Madeline avoided him for the most part. Things weren't how they had been when she was a little girl; when she told him everything; when she would launch herself onto her parents' bed in the morning to wake them; or when she ran to him after doing very well at a competition. Nick was practically unrecognizable as her father, and Madeline knew she was a far cry from the bubbly, upbeat girl he loved so much. All they were concerned with at the moment was surviving.

Back in the Denali, Nick called his daughter's name several times before he believed she had hung up on him. Sighing, he flipped the phone shut with a bit of an annoyed snap, then latched it into its holder once again. Nick breathed in slowly, his chest puffing out as he prepared to make a U-turn to head back to his daughter's gym.

"Everything alright?" Sara checked softly, already knowing the answer. It always helped to get Nick to talk if something was bothering him, but he wasn't always willing to do so. He didn't like unloading his problems on others, but today he seemed to want Sara's advice.

"I don't know." He admitted, some of the pep gone from his voice now, as he maneuvered his U-turn. "She wouldn't tell me much. I'm gonna need to make a little detour. Sorry."

"It's fine. Do you want me to call Grissom?"

"That's probably a good idea. I'll do it." Nick admits, though facing their boss's wrath isn't exactly at the top of his most wanted to-do list. Grissom wasn't what you would call a family man, and perhaps wasn't as understanding about personal side-trips on company time. However, Madeline always came first in Nick's book, even if it meant getting yelled at by Grissom. Nick quickly makes the call, letting their boss know they will be a few minutes late to the scene, and it was due to a family emergency he'd explain more later. Luckily, Grissom didn't give him too much flack.

As Nick pulled up to the pick-up circle at the front entrance of the gym, he shook his head when he saw his twelve-year-old sitting on the bench texting. Luckily, he'd signed up for unlimited texting with his cell phone company. He'd opted for this after received a three hundred dollar bill about a year ago. Personally, he didn't understand what was so enthralling about sending texts when you could call and hear someone's voice. That was just one of many things he didn't understand about his daughter.

Madeline saw her father's SUV pull up, so she slung her backpack over her shoulder and let her gym bag bob at her side as she finished typing a text to one of her friends. Maybe if he saw she was busy texting he wouldn't interrogate her with a thousand questions. Slowly, she opened the back door, threw in her gear, and climbed in afterwards.

"Hi, Madeline." Sara greeted the kid she'd known since she was about five years old. She was definitely much more talkative and pleasant back then than she was being lately. Sara just hoped that when her own son got to be Maddie's age, he would be a little more receptive to conversation. Cody was only six, however, so she had plenty of time before he hit the teen years. And from what she'd heard from Nick, teenage boys were much more easy to deal with than teenage girls.

"Hi." She answers shortly, not taking her eyes away from her phone. The phone buzzed with a new message as Nick pulled away from the circle. He stole a glance at her in his rearview mirror. It didn't escape him that she was currently immersing herself in the art of texting, something she did when she didn't want to talk to him. However, today that was not going to fly.

"How was your day?" Sara went on, turning in her seat slightly to talk to her a little easier.

"Okay. Dad, will you turn up the radio please?" She requested dismissively, not really caring to talk to his nerdy coworker.

Instead, Nick reached over and turned the radio completely off, then cleared his throat. Sara pretended to find the road fascinating again, as Madeline let out an audible groan.

"Madeline, what happened?" Nick asked simply, resting his left arm on the edge of the window, rubbing his hand over his chin in thought. Madeline concentrated on her texting, wishing he would just drive. After about five seconds of uncomfortable silence, Nick's left hand fell to the steering wheel a bit loudly in frustration.

"Madeline Elizabeth." He warned her in a tone he reserved for only when he was done with being patient. It was a tone he'd been adopting more and more these days, and seemed to get less and less effective.

"What?" Her cell phone buzzed again with a message.

"Turn your phone off now and explain to me why I'm pickin' you up an hour and a half early." He demanded. Sara shifted a bit uncomfortably, feeling like she was imposing on the small family. She knew Madeline must be embarassed to have her father questioning her in front of someone else, but she wasn't exactly making things any easier on herself. Reluctantly, Madeline put her phone on silent and tucked it back into her backpack, not wanting to anger her dad anymore.

"The coach decided I was done for the day." She told him vaguely, which wasn't a lie. Madeline looked out the window, hoping she could delay the truth long enough for them to arrive home. At least then he'd have to wait until later to yell at her, because Madeline knew he was in a rush to get to a crime scene. However, she also knew he wasn't above yelling at her in front of certain people, which included Sara.

"And did you have anything to do with that?" Nick wondered, his suspicion evident in his voice. It was unheard of at Maddie's particular gym for the girls to be let off early, unless there was some sort of emergency.

"Can't we talk about this later?" She requested.

Nick looked over at Sara, and they exchanged eye contact for a moment. "We've had conversations in front of Sara before." He pointed out, his suspicions now further confirmed. It's not like he was going to tear into her in front of someone else, but he was just trying to get some information. "Are you afraid I'm gonna yell at you?"

Madeline shrugged and let out a contemplative sound. "Hmmm?" Nick asked, waiting for her answer. "Did you do something I need to know about?"

"Maybe." She told him evasively, playing with the drawstring of her active pants.

"Maddie, I don't have time for this. Sara and I are supposed to be at a crime scene right now, and we had to go out of our way to come get you. The least you can do is tell me the truth. If I have to drag it out of you, or if I have to call your coach, it's really not gonna make me very happy."

She hadn't thought about that possibility, and knew her dad wouldn't hesitate to call up the gym and get the whole story from her coach. It would be better to just tell him everything, but that was always the hardest part. Madeline took a deep breath and hoped for the best.

"Fine. I had a really bad day at school, so I wasn't in a good mood at practice." She began. "So when Jane was getting nit-picky about my routine, I may have mouthed off a little bit to her."

Nick nodded and sighed. The Madeline he knew just a year ago would never dream of talking back to her coach, but he didn't feel all that surprised that she had. Was this the way their lives were heading? That it was becoming acceptable for Maddie to speak to other people so rudely? And was it wrong that, at times like this, Nick wished Lauren were here to help him deal with it?

"What did you say?" His voice had a disappointed anticipation to it, wondering just how low she had stooped.

"Ummm…well, it included the term 'fat slobby ass'." Her shoulders hunched up and she cringed in awful anticipation.

Sara even winced. She'd known Madeline for a long time, and it was heartbreaking that she'd turned into the type of kid that would mouth off to adults. Sara was definitely glad she wasn't Nick right now, having to deal with this dilemma.

"Oh my God." Nick muttered in disappointment. He shifted in his seat, his fingers making contact again with his chin as he tried to contain his displeasure. "I cannot believe you, Madeline Elizabeth."

"She was picking on me! She wouldn't leave me alone at all, and the other girls were whispering and giggling at me!" Madeline defended herself.

"You know that's not an excuse." Nick told her sternly. "Where do you get off talkin' to your coach like that? That's her job to correct you, and it's your job to do what she says. You know that."

"Well I don't like her. I want a new coach."

"I think you need to change your attitude. I bet that would help out the situation a whole lot." Nick countered. His daughter's attitude and mouth seemed to be getting worse by the day. Making a right turn onto his street, he decided it was a good thing he had to rush off to work, because he might say something he would regret otherwise. Madeline was getting awfully good at saying things that got under his skin.

"I think everyone needs to get off my back." Maddie muttered, glad they were almost home. Nick pulled into the driveway of his two-story home, clicked the button on his garage door opener, and put the Denali in park. Madeline got out immediately, without even a goodbye to either adult, and walked towards the slowly opening garage door. He unbuckled his seatbelt and cleared his throat as he turned to look at Sara.

"I'll be right back." He promised her, the statement promising a certain amount of doom for his young daughter. That meant he needed to say something to her that he wasn't comfortable saying in front of Sara, which was all around bad news for Madeline.

As Nick closed his door, Sara sighed and closed her eyes. "Don't say anything stupid, Madeline." She said softly to herself, as a wish to the twelve eyar old just out of eyeshot now.

Nick quickly caught up to his daughter as she walked through the garage. He didn't say a word as he followed closely behind her, torquing his jaw slightly in displeasure. Madeline sighed as she opened the door, knowing she hadn't quite gotten away scot-free for now. She would have to suffer through a little more lecturing, and this time Sara wasn't there to hold his temper back. Maddie used to be so afraid of him when she was in trouble, but now it was just replaced with more anger towards him. He wasn't doing so great with his life. What business did he have telling her how to act?

Madeline grumbled as she let her backpack and workout bag fall to the floor by the kitchen table as she kicked off her flip flops.

"You're pretty lucky right now that I have to go to work, because otherwise I'd be drivin' you back to the gym to apologize to Jane." Nick informed her, his arms crossed authoritatively. Madeline spun around to meet his gaze, hoping he knew she wasn't intimidated by him anymore.

"Well, goodyyyy." She mocked him a little, reaching down to loosen the wrap she had around her left ankle.

Nick continued, ignoring her disrespect. "So instead, you can write her an apology letter to give to her tomorrow. One page, single-spaced, regular-sized handwriting." He got specific because a couple months ago, she had to write a similar letter to her babysitter, and she'd written the sentence _I'm sorry_ in huge letters, covering the entire page.

"If you actually came to my practices to watch me, you'd know what a jerk she really is."

"That's quite enough from you." Nick decided, picking up her backpack, and setting it down on the kitchen table. He began to get out her notebooks and textbooks, setting them out on the table. "Since your afternoon is free now, you can start on your homework early. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to finish before I get home, and plenty of time to write and proofread your apology letter. Then, when I get home, you and I will be having a long conversation."

"I can't wait." She told him sarcastically as she turned to go get a snack in the kitchen. However, Nick caught her wrist before she could go much further and tugged her back.

"And I want you to have a good answer for me about why you behaved like this today." Nick told his twelve year old calmly, yet firmly, making eye contact with her for several moments. He didn't know where and when she'd gotten the notion she could start acting like this. Nick knew she was hurting from her mother leaving, but that didn't give her a ticket to start misbehaving.

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows and took her wrist back as he picked up her cell phone to remove the distraction. "And no, you can't go to one of your friend's houses when you're done. I'll see you later." Nick said a bit coldly, stuffing her cell phone into his back pocket.

Madeline just pulled out one of the chairs roughly and plopped herself down in the chair, frustrated with the situation. Though she hated being in trouble, it was also nice to actually have him paying attention to her. It would be better if it was a tender hug, a pat on the back, or hanging out watching a movie together, eating popcorn – just knowing he cared about her as a person, and wasn't just that man who punished her when she acted up. As the door to the garage shut, leaving Madeline alone in the big, empty house she couldn't help but think _noone cares about me anymore_.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I had several people ask about who Cody's father is. We will find more about that later, but for now I can assure you without a doubt that it is not Grissom. Eww! Please enjoy and review!_

A couple suspenseful minutes after he had followed his daughter indoors, Sara saw her partner mosey out of the garage, looking thoroughly puzzled, or perhaps just a little frustrated. Her heart went out to Nick, and had been for the last year at least. He had confided in her about his problems with Lauren, and she'd been the one he called after they'd had a big fight. Sara was his rock; his shoulder to lean on; his confidant. Sara didn't mind listening to him blow off steam at all. She hated to admit it, but in fact she looked forward to those times he would call her, all upset, and she would be able to console him. It made her feel needed and useful, and that she really mattered to someone. Well, she knew she mattered to her son Cody, but this was a different kind of need. She needed to be needed by a man, but that was not something Sara Sidle readily admitted. To her, admitting she needed help or that she relied on someone else was a sign of weakness. Her mother relied on her father, and look where that got her. Sara would never be weak like her mother had been, which was why she didn't let many people that close to her. She considered Nick to be her closest friend, but she was always cautious not to let him get too close.

The car dinged annoyingly as Nick opened the driver's side door to get in, and stopped when he closed it once again with a heavy sigh. Turning the key in the ignition, he glanced apologetically over at his partner. "Sorry about that. I had something I had to deal with."

Sara loved when he was being so protective, and she would never tell him, but he was so sexy when he was upset about something. There was this slight manly hitch in his voice when he spoke that made her want to crawl into his lap and kiss his troubles away. "Not a problem." Sara assured him, and realized she had been twirling a clump of hair strands idly. "You okay?"

Sara knew what it was like, having a child of her own, to always have the focus on the kid. And that's how it should be, but it was difficult for a single parent. Their feelings came last, and the main focus always had to be making sure the kid was growing up well-adjusted and happy. It was exhausting going at it alone, and Sara could only imagine what else Nick was dealing with a twelve year old who seemed to have an attitude problem. Plus, he had all his own angst to deal with about the dissipation of his marriage, which he couldn't really deal with when he had to focus so much on Madeline. Sara knew Nick wouldn't have it any other way. No one doubted that he adored his daughter, and would do anything for her. Momentarily, Sara felt like running in that house and giving a lecture to Madeline, shaking her until she realized what a hard job Nick had, and that she wasn't making it any easier.

"I'll get there." He let out a sexy, throaty sigh as he turned in his chair to back out of the driveway. Nick placed his right hand on the back of Sara's headrest as he maneuvered the vehicle, and Sara mentally kicked herself for enjoying it. "Maddie's just been…" He waved his hand a big in frustration after he switched the gear to drive, "Driving me absolutely crazy. Were you like that when you were twelve?"

Sara just shook her head, thinking back to that time in her life. She was mostly concerned with not getting beaten up by her own father. As a twelve year old, she wouldn't dare talk back or get smart with her father in fear of getting abused. Maybe since Maddie knew Nick would never do anything like that to her, she felt entitled to give him flack and make his life more difficult. What had happened to the sweet girl who would come into the lab piggybacking on Nick's back?

"She's never been like this." Nick shook his head as he drove down the street, heading now towards the crime scene. "Ever since Lauren and I started having problems, she's like a different kid. And when she left, it got even worse."

Sara just nodded and looked at him in understanding, letting him know she was willing to listen. It seemed to help him just to get things off his chest.

"Sometimes, she seems fine. But a lot of the time, she's just so distant and cold. Nothing like the little girl I know. I mean, does she seem different to you?"

Sara crossed her arms and looked ahead, contemplating the little girl they both cared about so much. It was true, that Madeline had turned into this miserable, mouthy pre-teen, but she wasn't sure how much of it was normal middle school stuff, and what was because of her mother leaving. Having lost her mother at a similar age, Sara knew how empty it felt not to have that adult female figure in her life, and how awful it felt when other girls talked about their mothers. Sara knew Madeline and Nick had been close before, but as she got older, Sara wondered if she would still feel comfortable being as open to him as she had before. Though Sara hadn't had a father around at age twelve, she couldn't imagine wanted to talk to him about girl things. It would be so embarrassing.

"Yeah, Nick. A little. I mean, her mother leaving is obviously a huge upset. But teenage girls are supposed to hate their parents, aren't they?"

Nick scrubbed a hand over his chin and mouth. "Maybe. I was hoping me and Madeline would be different. Maybe I'm just trying too hard."

"No, Nick, not at all." Sara tried staying positive with him, because she knew he was struggling so much with raising Madeline. "I mean, don't stop asking her questions and letting her know you care. That's what a lot of teenager get so upset about, that their parents are annoyed by them and avoid them. Everyone knows how much you love your daughter. Make sure she knows that."

"Yeah. It's kind of hard when she locks herself in her room listening to music and IM-ing her friends. She doesn't want to talk to me."

"I'm sure she doesn't mind. She's just confused right now. Whatever you do, don't stop acting like you care about her." She advised, though she hardly felt like an expert on parenting herself. Being a mother was the last thing on her list of things to do in her life, but shit happens. And it definitely hadn't been like she'd ever imagined. Now she was stuck being a single mother, but surprisingly, she loved it and found it more rewarding than anything she'd ever done.

"Yeah, you're right." He admitted. Sara seemed to know her stuff when it came to kids, though he sensed she didn't always think so. He'd seen her with her son Cody, and she was a natural. Sara was ten times better at it than Lauren, which he felt entitled to feel now that she was history. "How's Cody doin'? I haven't seen him in a while."

Sara smiled at the thought of her decidedly geeky little boy. He was skinny as a swizzle stick, with brown hair like hers, which curled at the ends slightly. Cody was into Legos, toy cars, and addicted to Sudoku, which was surprising for a six year old. Glasses were always perched on top of his adorable little nose, and had never once pleaded with Sara to get contacts. He wasn't quite as confident as Sara had been at that age. He got picked on occasionally at school, and though Sara hated to label him, he was indeed a nerd. But he was an adorable little nerd, and she loved him to pieces.

"He's doing well. He wants to join the Spellbowl team, but he's a little too young." Sara filled him in on what a wizard her son was at spelling. From an early age, he had excelled in this area, as well as all the subjects at school. Sara and his teachers had considered skipping him ahead a grade, but had decided not to pursue it for now, because he needed to focus more on socialization. Already, he had trouble making a whole lot of friends, and putting him in a class with older kids would most likely intimidate him, and sway him away from trying to initiate friendships. Perhaps in a couple of years, they had decided, he would be mature enough to handle skipping a grade. For now, he went to Sylvan Learning Center twice a week to practice more challenging skills, and Sara worked with him at home.

"You guys should come over sometime." Nick suggested, always loving to hang out with the little guy. He felt bad for him also that he didn't have a father figure, and Cody seemed to enjoy being around him. If he could have a positive influence on Cody, that would give him great pleasure. "We could have a barbecue."

That sounded fantastic to Sara, to get to spend more time around her partner. She couldn't explain exactly how she felt about Nick. There was this certain fondness about it that seemed to go deeper than just friendship, but she had never thought about Nick in a romantic way. Her heart always warmed when he walked into a room, or when she saw his number on the caller ID. Was that normal for people who were just friends? Sara wondered if he had any similar feelings, but quickly dismissed it. They were just coworkers; just single parents who were concerned about their kids. That was all they had in common.

"Yeah, Nick. That would be great."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

At the end of shift, Nick changed vehicles back at the lab, and headed back to his own house in his truck. He felt awful that he wished he could just go drive around for a while, maybe stop to have a beer at one of the downtown bars, anything to avoid having to deal with Madeline's problems from the day. What if she hadn't started her homework, and refused to write the letter he'd ordered her to write? After a long shift and a long day, Nick didn't feel he had enough energy to deal with her disobedience or back talking. Did that make him a bad father? Not to want to go home to his daughter?

Nick sighed, and automatically, his hands and feet steered him in the direction of home. It was his responsibility to take care of her, no matter how much she didn't seem to appreciate it. On several occasions, his own father had given him good advice that was often hard to follow. He wasn't there to be her friend, he was there to be her father. He had to be the bad guy, because he was all she had now. As a single father, he had to be everything for her.

As he pulled up to his driveway, he spied two of Madeline's friends at the front door, and his daughter was standing there talking to them. Great, Nick thought. This was how his evening was going to be. He'd distinctly told her not to hang out with friends, and she'd disobeyed him. What else had she done? Nick wished he could be two places at once a lot, when he had to be at work. Madeline seemed to need more and more supervision these days. Madeline saw her father and seemed to quickly shoo her two friends away. Nick hoped Madeline knew well enough to get her butt inside, get back to what she was doing, and hoped she was smart enough to know not to lie to him.

Grabbing his workbag, he got out of the truck and headed into the house through the garage door. Thankfully, Madeline was sitting at a chair at the table now, looking over a neatly written paper. Her back was to him, but Nick stared her down anyway as he let his workbag clunk to the floor. First, he went to the kitchen to crack open a soda, leaving Madeline to anticipate what he was going to say. He noticed her watching his every move.

"I thought I told you no hanging out with friends." He stated simply, and then took a swig of his Coke. Honestly, he didn't understand where she got her nerve. As a young child, all he normally had to do was say her full name in warning, and she would shape right up. Rarely, he had to do much more, but these days she was much more challenging. He looked at her, and instead of the shame he might normally encounter on her face, she looked unbothered; a peaceful look on her features.

"I can't help it if they come ring the doorbell." She informed him. "And you said no going to friends' houses. You didn't say anything about them coming here." Madeline reminded him smartly.

Nick was silent for a few moments as he walked back into the dining room, where she was sitting. "I made myself perfectly clear. You knew what I meant, Madeline. You've got a lot of nerve trying to bend the rules when you're already in a world of trouble."

The twelve year old sighed, as if his words were boring her. And they probably should be, the number of times he had said something similar, if not identical, the last few months. Nick walked closer to her, eyeing her the entire time, then picked up the piece of paper she had been reading. He quickly scanned the page, and thankfully found an acceptable apology letter.

"Good job on this." He complimented her, though the tone of his voice didn't make it seem like such a good thing. "I'll drop you off at the gym tomorrow and you can give it to her before practice." This would give him the opportunity to talk to her coach, Jane, privately to discuss how she thought his daughter was doing. Jane spent almost as much time with Madeline as he did, since she was a level eight gymnast. She practiced at least twenty hours a week, and while she hadn't been as focused lately, her head was often at the gym when her body was elsewhere. Lately, she had been slacking off, and Nick often wondered if she wanted to quit gymnastics. She was a natural athlete, like he had been, but her own issues and angst over her parents' problems had caused her to lose interest in many things. Mastering tumbling passes and sticking landings didn't seem to important to her now that she didn't have her mother there to cheer her on. Nick tried to make it to as many practices and meets as he could, but there had been many he had missed. Nick thought again about Sara's advice; about making sure Madeline knew he still cared about her.

"Can't I just mail it to her?"

The look he gave her was answer enough. "Is your homework done?"

"Most of it."

"How much qualifies as most?"

Madeline looked away and bit her lip. "Uhh, one out of four? But two of 'em will only take a few minutes."

"You better get busy then." Nick told her, looking over her assignment notebook, which was sitting out on the table.

"Then can I go to Emma's house?"

"I don't think so. I think you're grounded."

Madeline gaped. "Why?!"

Nick furrowed his eyebrows, confused that it needed an explanation. "Um, well let's see." He retrieved his hand to count off the reasons. "Mouthing off to your coach, getting kicked out of practice, talking back to me, talking to your friends after I told you not to…"

"Alright, alright!" She snapped at him and crossed her arms. "Mom would've understood." Madeline muttered.

"Your mother would be washing your mouth out with soap." He easily countered, which was far from the truth, but he used it for argument's sake. Lauren rarely lifted a finger when it came to disciplining Madeline. If she'd been left in her mother's hands, Nick was sure Madeline would be an ornery, disrespectful little hellion, even more so than she was now.

"It would be better than living with you." She spat hurtfully back at her father.

Her back was facing him again, and Nick torqued his jaw in hurt at her comment. He tried his best. He really did, and this was what he got back? A disrespectful, unappreciative little monster? Before he could think about it and censor his thoughts, he blabbed his mouth, taking his lowest blow yet as her father

"Then maybe you should go live with her."

Madeline didn't have a response, as Nick picked up his Coke can and work bag, then headed back to his office to do some paperwork and wallow in his own angst.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed. I was a little puzzled – 11 reviews for chapter one, and 4 for chapter two. Did I all of a sudden start sucking? And please, people, don't be a meanie – if you have my story on alert, please take a few seconds and the courtesy to write me a quick review._

Not long after Nick had arrived at his own home, Sara Sidle pulled up to her regular parking spot in front of a series of oldish, quaint townhouses that lined the streets of downtown Las Vegas. As one foot made contact with the gravel of the narrow street, she could clearly feel the slight crisp, coldness that autumn brought each year. The street was surrounded by large, generous trees, the leaves that adorned them slowly turning a combination of red, gold, and orange. Fall was her favorite season, because of the pure beauty that changed before her eyes each and every September.

September…her son Cody's least favorite time of year, because it meant the stress of starting a new school year. He loved the academic part of school, and he was very gifted. It's the other kids that scared him. Cody wasn't exactly what you'd call a popular kid. He was quiet, reserved, and very into tranquil things. On almost any day of the week, in any month, she could find him curled up in the bay window, smiling as he read a book, or playing computer games. He was the sweetest kid you would ever meet, but just had a hard time meeting people he could connect with. It seemed he was wiser beyond his years in many ways, but it was so difficult for the little guy to make friends.

As Sara walked insider her warm, neat townhouse, she predictably heard the television in the background, and knew it was Cody's sitter, Ms. Jennings, in the kitchen as she began dinner. They had an arrangement that she started cooking meals so she and Cody could eat at a decent hour. Sara had relied in the older woman for years, and Cody adored her, though nowadays he just enjoyed being by himself. Sometimes, Sara would come home to the pair playing cribbage at the coffee table, or Ms. Jennings telling him a story about her own childhood. She would always just slip into the room, hoping that little experiences like this would show Cody it was okay to interact with and talk to other people. How happy Sara would be if he invited a friend from school over, walked in the door with grass-stained jeans, or left a mess in his room.

She walked towards the back of the house where a wonderful smell emitted from the kitchen. Vegetable stir fry, Sara knew, one of Carla's famous recipes which she cooked on a semi-regular basis. Cody was a vegetarian just like his mother, mostly because he hadn't known anything else.

"Hi, Sara." Carla smiled at her employer for the past seven years. The two were almost like a mother and daughter, having been friends for so long. They basically raised Cody together, and there was no one else Sara would trust more with her son. Carla was her rock, her shoulder to cry on when she'd had a bad day, and just a great person all around.

"Hey. Cody's upstairs?"

She nods as she scoots some of the vegetables around in the sizzling pan, colorfully dotted with cucumber, carrots, and onion, among many other things. The combination was making Sara ravenous as she watched the spoon push the food around. "He had a bit of a rough day." She informed the young mother sadly. "He doesn't seem to have anyone to play with at recess."

Sara frowned and her brow furrowed in concern for her nerdy son. As his mother, she would always love him, and support him in whatever he did, but not everyone was as understanding of his geeky ways.

"Poor little guy." She leaned forlornly on the counter as she stood, wishing she could somehow fix his situation. Of course, she wouldn't want him to change the way he was, but she wished she could get the other kids to see him the way she did. A mother's love was blind, but that didn't always help a kid make friends.

"Yeah. He got an A+ on his spelling test again, though. He was proud of that."

"I bet he was." Sara perked up a little, thinking of him sitting on his hands as the teacher passed back the papers to the class, waiting for his grade with more anticipation than any normal six year old could muster up. She could practically picture his face lighting up the way he always did when he was proud of himself, his slightly crooked teeth showing, and his face turning slightly red as he turned over yet another one hundred. Sara chuckled at the thought of him fingering the bright sticker Ms. Carter always put at the top of her students' A papers, like it was the most prized thing in the world. Cody was into school majorly, which was a blessing and a curse. "Well, I'm gonna go check on him. Thanks for starting dinner."

Sara slowly climbed the stairs, her body a bit achy from having to hunch or bend over a lot at her crime scene today. Her mind drifted to how, when she'd rubbed the back of her neck in exhaustion, Nick had casually placed his hand there and rubbed gently for a few moments, coaxing the ache away from her muscles there. Sweetly, he'd asked if she was doing okay and if she needed a break. He'd always been polite and chivalrous like that, but it was only recently that Sara had really started to take notice. The gesture today had made her face blush a little, but thankfully she was already sporting a bit of a sunburn and he didn't notice. If he had, he hadn't said anything, anyway.

Her curled finger tapped on the wooden door of Cody's upstairs bedroom a few times, to which her son responded with a gentle, 'come in'. Sara let herself in and smiled at her first grader as she closed the door, though it wasn't necessary since they were the only ones home besides Carla. It's not like some slobbery-faced blonde toddler was going to wander in announcing he'd flushed another G.I. Joe down the toilet. It was a gesture her mother had always done, and Sara felt it was assuring to Cody anyway, that this was just between him and her.

"Hi, Mommy." He greeted her a bit solemnly, playing with his Legos on the floor. Already, his model of…she didn't know what…was quite elaborate, a very thought-through model with carefully coordinated colors and pieces. It looked like he'd been working on it all afternoon.

"Hey, Cody." Sara pulled the fabric of her khakis up her thighs a little so she could sit down on the floor with him, crossing her legs pretzel style as she carefully examined his handiwork. "Wow. This is impressive." She used that overly-impressed voice that only parents of young children use to praise their full-hearted, but not always pretty work.

"Thanks." He tinkled with a little propeller that was laying in the pile on the pale carpet, otherwise abandoned for this project. Sara smiled a little and gently touched his short, brunette hair as she studied his cheerless face. Cody was a bright kid, and knew Ms. Jennings had probably already told his mother about his hard day at school. She was acting that way anyway, like she was sorry for his bad day, and that she was saddened herself that he wasn't happy. "I didn't have a good time at school today." He told his mother before she had to ask.

Cody was usually blunt, and to the point, not seeing much point in beating around the bush when it came to his feelings. Sara nodded and let her hand fall to his back, rubbing gentle circles that had calmed him since he was a baby. "I'm sorry, baby. What happened?"

The boy tossed a chunk of several Legos into another pile nearby as he stared at the colorful pieces. "No one wants to be friends with me."

Sara's hand rubbed more at his back, wishing this alone could fix his problems, but in reality, that wasn't so. "Well, have you asked anyone to play with you lately?"

Cody shook his head no, knowing his mom thought this was part of the problem. Didn't she know that some kids just seemed to make friends without trying; that kids sought after them and they all seemed to effortlessly fall into games of tag, pirates, pick-up basketball. All of it happened in a flash as they all ran out to recess each day, leaving Cody behind, bewildered and alone.

"Well, how about that boy Joseph you were talking about? Have you asked him to play lately?" Sara asked him gently.

"He was sick today, and he's been sick all week."

"Oh. Well that's a shame." She admitted and changed her position, as her right leg had fallen asleep. "You two seemed to be getting along. Maybe when he gets better, you can invite him over to play."

Cody nodded. "Maybe."

Sara leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple. How she wished she could get into that mind of his, and figure out why it was so hard for him to make friends. He'd had so much bad luck in his short life. His father had never been in the picture, and every friend he seemed to make either moved away or somehow lost interest in each other.

"Yeah." Sara whispered, knowing it had been only a half-hearted maybe, if that. Cody just didn't have the confidence to approach other kids. She often wondered if he'd be any different with a father figure around. Not his real one, of course. That would be a nightmare. He'd never had a father to play catch with, rough house with in the living room, or get tickled by until he turned red and almost peed his pants. Sara had tried her best to provide him with all the experiences a well-adjusted kid needed, but a father made a world of difference in a child's life, either good or bad. With her own father, it had been a combination of both. One day, he'd be telling her what a beautiful, intelligent, wonderful little girl she was, and the next he'd be in one of his drunken rages and come after her. When he was beating her, she'd try to freeze in her mind one of the good moments she had with him – when he was holding her in his arms as they watched a movie, or eating ice cream cones together on the front porch.

If only Cody when tender moments like that with someone who could substitute as his father. She'd tried dating, but it was no use. No one wanted to date a workaholic with baggage. Sara shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and turned her attention back to her son.

"I heard you got another A+ on your spelling test." She smiled and ruffled his hair. He let out a little proud smile, trying to be modest, but he couldn't hide it.

"Yeah." His voice sounded lighter.

"Well, I think that calls for some ice cream for dessert, don't you think?"

His crooked teeth shone through in the grin he offered her next. "Yeah."

Sara opened her arms wide to her young son, and he scooted in to them to receive a hug from the most important person in his life – the only permanent person in his life, really, besides Carla. She needed to figure something out soon, whether it was counseling, moving someplace new, sending him to a different school. Sara was afraid her son was developing an unrealistic anxiety about other people, that if she didn't address soon, he would never snap out of.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Nick drove the familiar route from Las Vegas Middle School to the Vitaly Scherbo School of Gymnastics, with a pretty much silent Madeline in the passenger seat next to him, other than a little humming along to the latest Fergie song. Her feet were propped up on the dashboard, her ankle occasionally twitching around to relieve the tension that sometimes ailed it. Up to this point, Madeline had luckily never suffered a major injury in gymnastics, a constant fear of her father's. Her left ankle and foot sometimes bothered her, and when she was nine she suffered a sprained wrist. As she moved up each level in gymnastics, his fears seemed to multiply as he watched her perform insanely frightening-looking maneuvers. One bad fall could break a bone, and even under the watchful eye of her coach Jane, his heart still missed a beat every time she performed a release on bars. That's why he could never be a gymnast, but his daughter was fearless. If she fell, she just shook it off and got right back up. However, her interest in the sport had been waning slightly in recent months. Often, he heard her complain about Jane getting on her back about various things, and he sensed that sometimes she wished she could be a normal kid. Nick would never let gymnastics rule her life, but she did have to devote many hours a week to the sport – hours that she could be spending with her friends, or hours more she could devote to schoolwork. Madeline could've easily been in the gifted program at school, but Nick had opted for her to stay in less challenging courses so she didn't stress herself out. She was an excellent student for the most part, though of course there were days when he had to get on her case about homework.

Nick had not been to one of her practices in quite a while, so he didn't know what she was working on, and what muscles were being threatened to get pulled because of it. Admittedly, he had been detached from Madeline's gymnastic world for a few months now. Nick loved to watch her practice and perform, but the last year or so, he had just wanted to bury himself in his work as a distraction from all the drama that went on in their lives. He'd found that if he watched Madeline practicing, his thoughts always drifted to him worrying about her life, how she was coping, and how in hell they were going to get out of this in one piece. After a while, this turned into way too much stress for what it was worth, and he tended to just drop her off, or have her carpool with friends. Madeline, however, had taken this as disinterest in her favorite hobby. Her father didn't seem as in tune to her as he'd been all throughout her childhood, focusing instead on his own self-pity.

"So, uh," Nick cleared his throat. "What kind of stuff have you been working on this week?" He tried to make pleasant conversation. Madeline had given him the cold shoulder most the rest of last night, and didn't seem too in the mood to uphold a conversation with him.

"If you came to my practices, you would know." Maddie countered almost immediately, hating it when he tried to act all interested at times when he wanted her cooperation. That's not how it worked.

"And what do you think I'm doin' right now?" He glanced over at her, and saw she'd since crossed her arms and was staring out the side window.

"You wouldn't be coming unless you had to talk to Jane." She pointed out, and Nick knew it was the truth. It's not like he avoided coming to her practices, it's just that they were about four hours long, and that was a long time to think about all that was wrong with his daughter's life and how he was probably making it worse.

"Baby, I've been really busy lately. You know I…"

"I know, I know. You love watching me perform. Whatever." She cut off his explanation, which she had heard hundreds of times, and could practically recite for him. This was why a lot of conversation between them wasn't needed.

"Well, I do, you know." He told her honestly, knowing he had lost a lot of credibility with her over the last year. Nick just wished she would meet him halfway. She'd done a lot over the last year to break his trust too. However, he knew he was the adult and he'd first need to prove it to her that he still really cared. Madeline's response was a dismissive grunt, as they pulled into the parking lot of the gym. As soon as they'd parked, Madeline grabbed her gym bag and hurried off to the door, letting her father walk behind her, leaving him behind like she always seemed to do.

Nick sighed to himself and walked into the gym, where Madeline was getting her deed over with. He could see her standing in front of Jane, holding out an envelope with the apology letter she'd written the night before. Jane seemed to be receptive, and he hung back, waiting for Madeline to finish. He tried a little to eavesdrop, but couldn't only make out a few words. As soon as Maddie was finished, she disappeared into the locker room to get ready for training, and he took the opportunity to approach Jane. She was making a few notes on her workout schedule, but sensed the father approaching, and looked up.

"Mr. Stokes." She smiled, though it seemed a little forced to him. "Hi."

"Hi Jane." He greeted her, and smiled a little sheepishly. It seemed he was having to explain his daughter's behavior to someone or another a lot these days. "I heard what happened at practice yesterday, and I apologize. Maddie knows I won't tolerate that kind of language."

"I appreciate that, Nick." She told him sincerely. "But I need to talk to you about how Maddie's doing."

The way she delivered the line made Nick's heart drop. Was she having more problems than he'd realized? Was Jane about to tell him something awful about his kid, and write him down in the Bad Parent Encyclopedia?

"Sure. What's up?" He asked casually, trying not to sound too worried.

Jane sighed and began walking to her office, motioning for Nick to follow. "Well, as you know, Maddie's a level eight right now. The Nevada Fall State Championships are in November, which is when she'll have the chance to move up to level nine."

Nick nodded, familiar with all the terminology even after so long away. Madeline had done very well in each level throughout her career, winning medals at almost every competition on at least one apparatus. Level nine was just one step closer to the Elite level, which Nick secretly hoped she'd never reach. That would mean pulling her out of school and enrolling her in an expensive, elite, insane gymnastics school where she (and he) would live, breathe, and eat gymnastics. Maddie would be tickled at the idea, but she wouldn't think about the level of commitment on both their parts before plunging in. Plus, he'd be going at it alone, which would make it even more difficult.

"Is she ready?"

Jane pulled out Madeline's file, where they kept records of all the skills she had mastered, and still had to master to reach the next division.

"Far from it." Jane said bluntly. "I hate to say it, Mr. Stokes, but Madeline's focus has been dwindling the past few months."

Nick nodded and sat down in one of the chairs, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"I know you've been having trouble since Lauren left, but I'm really starting to get worried about her chances of advancing if things continue like this. Her mouthing off yesterday is just the tip of the iceberg. She's been lazy with her workouts, has a negative attitude, and isn't working to her potential."

"What can I do to help?"

"Well, I think you need to sit down with her and discuss if her heart's still in this. Maybe she's just doing gymnastics because that's what she's always done, and because it's familiar. In level nine, the girls need to be committed and focused, and I'm just not sure if Maddie's there."

Nick made eye contact with her and nodded. Jane knew their family quite well, and Maddie's level of commitment had never been a problem before Lauren left. It was hitting Maddie perhaps harder than he'd ever realized. "I understand. I'll talk to her."

The two shared a few more words before both walked out of the office. Madeline was already on the floor, in her leotard and black shorts, doing calf stretches with some of the other level eight girls. She looked at her father suspiciously, wondering why he and her coach had been talking in the office. When Nick looked at her, she could tell he was more concerned about her now than he had been on their drive over. What the hell did Jane tell him? Did they just sit in there talking about what an awful kid she was? Maddie stared at him as he walked to the stands to watch her, and noticed how tired he looked. Still, he was here watching her.

Nick relaxed the best he could in the metal stands right next to the floor, overseeing the entire gym. It was the first time he'd seen Madeline train in months, and she was doing things that scared the living daylights out of him. And Jane was right – she was getting sloppy. Though Nick was no judge, he could tell a half-ass back handspring when he saw one, and knew all those little hops she took on her dismounts took away precious tenths. Her toes weren't always pointed, and when she did a run-through of her floor exercise, she simplified all three of her tumbling passes. Nick noticed Jane getting on her case several times rightfully, and her advice seemed to go in and out of Madeline's ear. When she corrected Maddie's form on balance beam, most of the time she would go right back to how she'd been doing it before. They were all lazy mistakes that Madeline never would've let happen months ago. Nick had been away too long. Was it his fault Madeline wasn't doing as well as she could be?

Practice ended a little before six, and Nick waited in the lobby for Maddie to come out. She had stuffed her street clothes into the bag like normal, because she always just liked to change and take a shower at home. A few minutes later, his petite daughter walked out confidently, her hair still pulled back in a sleek bun which she'd learned to do perfectly herself over the years (lord knows he couldn't do it to save his life). Her bag was slung over her shoulder, and she looked ready to crash.

"Hey." Maddie continued walking, so he caught stride with her as they walked towards the parking lot. "Did you have fun?"

"Hardly." She answered. "Didn't you see how Jane was picking on me again?"

"Well I don't think she'd have to if you did what she said. Two times she corrected you on your tumbling passes, and you went back and did it the exact same way."

Madeline rolled her eyes as they neared the Denali. "Don't quit your day job, Dad." She shot back. "My layouts are fine. She's just anal."

They'd nearly reached the back door of his Denali, when he gripped her upper arm to stop her. "Madeline, listen to yourself." He called her on her know-it-all attitude. "You're twelve years old, and while I know you'd like to believe you already know everything, you don't. I pay good money for you to take gymnastics lessons, and you're trying to blow your coach off?"

"I told you I want a new coach! Jane's such a spaz!" Her voice was slightly whiny, which only irritated him more.

"Sorry, I can't afford to send you to another gym. If you wanna do this, Jane is your coach, and I better see you cooperating better with her in the future, or I'll just pull you out of gymnastics."

Nick effectively ended the conversation by walking to his side of the Denali. Madeline kicked the tire in frustration, pulled the door open, and threw her bag in the backseat. When she had finally seated herself, she drummed the bottoms of her feet angrily against the dashboard and let out a terrible sound.

"Hey!" He raised his voice, and it resonated for a few moments in the small space. "You need to just chill out, young lady."

"You don't know anything about me!" She spat back at him, her eyes full of frustration, and swimming with tears. "Maybe I don't even want to do gymnastics anymore, but you never asked me! Cuz you're never around, and you don't even care any more!"

Her words stabbed into his heart. She really didn't think he understood her? And didn't even listen to her? Sure, their lives had been in an upheaval, but Nick didn't think it had gotten this bad. That his daughter didn't think he cared about her.

"Madeline," He lowered his voice, "I do care. But you have to understand that I'm goin' through a hard time too. I love your mom, and it hurt me like hell too not to have her around."

Madeline didn't answer him this time, and stared out her window. He knew she was hiding her tears from him now, not wanting to be thought of as weak in front of him. Nick had always made it clear it was okay to cry, and didn't understand when she'd decided to start hiding her feelings from him. They weren't communicating, and it was tearing the small family apart.

Nick waited patiently for her to say something, but it was becoming apparent she wasn't interested. He cleared his throat and put the Denali in reverse, but kept his foot on the brake. He was about to say something, when Madeline cut him off.

"If I'm such a pain in the ass to you, why don't you send me away to live with Mom?" Her voice was tearful and hurt.

He sighed, pulled out, and then put the Denali in drive. Nick had debated that question in his mind many times, but his inner debate always came back to the same place. He didn't think he could bear to live without his daughter. "Because, no matter how difficult you are to deal with, I don't think I could stand to have you away from me so long. That's the difference between me and your mother."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! You rock my world! I'm not neglecting Cody. He is the "B" story, and will be in the next chapter. Please enjoy and review, for my sake._

The unhappy father and daughter pair made their way into the house silently, neither in the mood to talk really or to sit down and eat dinner together. Nick was a decent cook, but most of the time he resorted to putting a pizza in the oven, nuking a TV dinner, or making macaroni and cheese. Madeline never complained to him, but she really missed her mother's home cooking. She missed sitting down together as a family. Even if there wasn't much conversation, there was something calming and reassuring about sitting down at the table together every night. Madeline hadn't realized how important this was until she lost it. Nowadays, they ate on the couch while watching Sports Center, or Madeline went to her room to do homework and snack at the same time.

Today, Madeline went straight back to her room with her backpack, throwing her gym bag down first in the kitchen for her father to deal with. He wasn't her favorite person right now, and she really wished her mother was here to vent all her frustration on. Though she didn't always get her mother's support, it was nice to be able to talk about what was bothering her to another adult. Her father seemed more concerned with her just getting her homework done, and the age-old rule of "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything". He didn't want to hear about her problems because he was so busy wallowing in his own self-pity about a divorce that was his fault. If he didn't spend so much time at work and wasn't such a stick in the mud, Madeline was sure her mother would still be here. Everything would be fine – she'd be more focused at gymnastics, she wouldn't fight with her father (as much), and they'd eat dinner together every night no matter what.

Madeline let out a troubled breath as she let her heavy backpack fall to the floor next to her desk in her decidedly tomboy-meets-princess bedroom. Her mother had always insisted on decorating her room in a girly style, and since the last time it had been redone she'd been nine, Madeline hadn't protested because her mom was so into it and she didn't really know how to protest. So, her pale purple walls were balanced nicely with her slightly off-white furniture, beautiful canopy bed, with lots of flowery prints on her window treatments and various decorations around her room. Her mother always wished she would take down the sports posters from her walls. She had several gymnastics posters of her favorite gymnasts, and basketball memorabilia, another of her favorite sports that she didn't really have time for. Her jewelry box was dusty from never being opened. Madeline just never got into the rings, bracelets, and necklaces her mother bought for her. She much rather opted for stringy friendship bracelets and a few hair ties on her wrist. Makeup wasn't even in her vocabulary, which Nick was thankful for. In fact, Madeline was so much like her father that it sometimes annoyed her more glamorous mother. She always looked so perfect and well put-together, unlike Madeline, who came home with grass stains on her knees and dirt on her cheeks. Maddie was a real sports lover, like her father, and the various sports items strewn about the room so casually only further proved it.

Even though she wasn't like her mother at all, Madeline still desperately wanted her right now. There was always something about her mother that captivated her. She was like a movie star, and Madeline felt like she was lucky and special for knowing her. When she was a very little girl, she delighted when her mother painted her fingernails for her (though they would soon get chipped in all her play), or braided her hair. And she was great to just cuddle with on the couch. She always smelled wonderful, even after a few long hours in the sun, and she would always tuck Madeline's hair behind her ears and fix her ponytail when it got crooked. Maddie got a funny pain in her stomach, realizing how much she missed her mom, kinda like that week she went away to gymnastics camp in California. She'd hated being away from her then, and she hated it now. And she hated being stuck with that jerk of a dad raising her.

There was an agreement between the two parents that Madeline could call the other parent whenever she wanted to. So, even though she was grounded, which meant no Internet (besides homework), no friends, no TV, and no phone, she could still call her mother. Her phone had been taken out of her bedroom, so she slipped into her parents' room – no, her dad's room now – and took the cordless phone off the cradle. She just dared her father in her mind to remind her she wasn't allowed to use the phone, but she didn't hear anything thankfully. It would've just been more to complain about to her mother. Maddie closed the door to her bedroom and got cozy on her bed, preparing to have a nice, long conversation with her mother to put her in a better mood. The phone rang twice before her mother picked up.

"Hello?" The familiar voice responded, sounding so close, but she was so so far away in New York.

"Mom!" Madeline smiled and her heart longed even more to be with her mother, to be hugged, have her hair tousled, and be able to play with the bracelets on her wrist – to be surrounded and enveloped by the woman she called Momma.

"Hey, Maddie." Lauren sounded rushed and not in a particularly talkative mood.

"I miss you so much, Momma." Madeline told her truthfully, always even more so when her dad was being a jerk. She could hear her mother's high heels clinking gracefully on the hardwood floor of her kitchen, and pictured her snatching up her designer sunglasses, her car keys, and her Louis Vuitton purse. Her dad always said she had expensive taste, and her mother would always shake her head and smile at Madeline, as if only they understood what was so great about having designer clothes and purses. Madeline didn't agree with her mother, but it was nice to feel like she was being let in on a secret.

"I miss you too, hon." It was said so casually, like she was ordering take-out over the phone. "But I really don't have time to talk. I'm late for yoga."

Madeline felt her heart drop. She wanted so desperately to talk to her mother. She was on the verge of bursting out crying, even. Didn't her mother sense that? Weren't mothers supposed to be able to do that? Maddie knew her father would never blow her off like that if she'd started off the conversation with 'I miss you so much', not that she did miss up at all when he was away.

"Can I call you later?" Lauren asked on the other end of the line, opening the front door of her apartment to hurry out.

Madeline wanted to yell out no, but she didn't want to upset her mom. She'd come across her crying enough when her parents were having problems, and she'd do anything to avoid that. She was sure her voice sounded absolutely tear-ridden, but she managed to get an okay out. Her mother thanked her and promised to call later, then hung up before Madeline could say anything else. The seventh grader clicked the talk button off, faced suddenly with the silence and loneliness of her room. Her mother had just totally disregarded her at a time when she really needed her. Madeline felt bad for feeling hurt by it. It wasn't fair to her mother than she was so needy now, and that she wanted to call and talk to her almost daily. Surely, she must annoy her mother sometimes.

Still, Madeline felt tears well up in her eyes, and felt safe to just let them stream down her cheeks. She let a sob escape her, knowing it always felt better to just let her emotions out. Right when she was letting her tears go, her father knocked on the door to ask her about dinner.

"What?" She tried to disguise her voice to hide her tears, and prayed that he wouldn't come inside. Then he'd be asking questions. She wasn't always a fan of her dad, but Madeline knew he would never just let her sit and cry without doing something about it.

"What do you want for dinner?" Nick asked from outside the door.

"I don't care." She mumbled. Why did he even ask? Surely, it would be either Hamburger Helper, pizza, or soup.

"I can't hear you." Nick says, and decides to just open the door. Madeline likes him to stay out, usually, but talking to her face to face would be much easier.

Madeline wiped at her eyes quickly to hide the fact she'd been crying, but sensed it was too late. Hopefully, he would just ignore her slightly reddened face. However, Nick proceeded in further, looking quite concerned and sympathetic, closing the door behind him.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asks her, walking over to her unmade bed where she was now trying to busy herself straightening a stack of Hannah Montana books on her bedside table.

"Nothing. I bumped by knee on the table." She fibbed, keeping her eyes on the books. He wouldn't understand that she missed her mother terribly. He couldn't stand her so much that he'd forced her to leave and move to New York. Her father was glad she was gone.

Nick sat down on the edge of the bed. He knew that even at the tempestuous age of twelve, a girl still needed her father's love, attention, and affection, even when she acted like she didn't want it. "You know you can talk to me, right?" He began to rub her back soothingly a little, which had always calmed her.

Madeline closed her eyes and shook her head a little. She used to think her father knew everything, and could solve any problem that came her way, but now that she was older and wiser she knew better. He didn't understand her, and she definitely didn't want to confide in him. But somehow, it was reassuring that he was offering. "You can't help me."

Nick thought he knew what this was about, and he'd decided he wouldn't shy away from it when the time came. "Is it about female issues?"

Madeline spun her head around and shot him an idiotic look. "Dad!! No!" She quickly cleared up for him.

"Then what is it? I can't try if you don't tell me." Nick pointed out, sensing it was going to be a lot harder to get her to talk. He missed the days when she would crawl up into his lap when she was troubled for a hug. They'd snuggle for a few minutes, and she'd tell him all her problems quite theatrically, and he would no doubt have some words of wisdom to offer her. Those days were long gone now, he knew, at a time when a girl needed her mother more than ever.

"You wouldn't understand." She told him coldly, standing up to clean up her room a little bit. She began to throw a few clothes into her hamper, hoping he would get the message that she didn't want to talk right now.

"Made-"

"I don't wanna talk to you!" She snapped, throwing a t-shirt down in frustration. Her eyes glared at him from a few feet away, and Nick looked back in confusion. When had they gotten to the point in their relationship that she refused to talk to him? That only happened to parents who weren't doing a good job. Nick knew he was hardly father of the year, but it hurt him that he and Madeline were having problems. The sweet, loving little girl he'd once known was gone, replaced with an angst-ridden, angry child.

Nick cleared his throat and stood up from her bed, a little hurt. He thought he made himself pretty approachable as a parent, and couldn't understand why Madeline had all of a sudden started pushing him away. She never seemed to confide in him much anymore, and that hurt him as a father. He loved Madeline to pieces, but the feeling wasn't mutual at the moment.

"Fine. I'll order in Chinese for dinner." He decided, not getting much input from his offspring. Madeline felt a little bad for snapping at her dad, and then felt even more upset because she knows she's really kind of upset at her mom for blowing her off. Again, her father was the most convenient target. He was here with her, so it was easy to make him her personal punching bag.

Nick left her room silently, closing the door behind him, to leave Madeline to be miserable by herself. As soon as the door closed, Maddie let herself fall forward on her bed, burying her face in her soft, cool pillow. Sometimes she just wished she could crawl under the covers and sleep for days. No school, no dad, no gymnastics. Just the safe, warm cocoon of her girly sheets and comforter surrounding her, hugging her through the days and nights.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Sara slipped on her work boots in the CSI locker room in preparation for a rainy, muddy day. Her crime scene was outdoors, which she wasn't so happy about. Today was one of those days that made you want to curl up on the couch with a blanket and a good book, take a nap, and make soup on the stove. Unfortunately, criminals didn't make that distinction, so she would be stuck in the drizzle and mud all day while she processed the scene. The only thing that made it better was that Nick Stokes was her partner for the day. She glanced over at him in front of his own locker, doing the same thing she was doing. He gave her a meek smile as he worked his heel into his well-worn shoe. By the way he was acting, it wasn't going to be one of his good days. Sara guessed it was something to do with Lauren or Madeline, or a combination of both. She herself had been worrying lately about her own son, and how he was adjusting to the new school year. And always, she was worried about how timid and what a loner he was. Sometimes, Sara almost wished she was having parenting problems more similar to Nick's, which had to do more with disobedience and mouthiness. At least she was doing things with her friends, being social, and was into activities that spanned more than just chess and spelling games.

Both closed their lockers around the same time, their rain jackets in hand in preparation for the walk out to the car. It was hard to get motivated when most of their crime scene was pretty much drenched, and most evidence would be lost. "You want me to drive?" Nick offered, knowing that Sara usually got antsy about driving in hazardous weather conditions.

Sara smiled as she put on her jacket. "You know me too well."

The two CSI's silently made their way out to the standard-issue Denali, trying to run between the raindrops. Still, by the time they climb in to the front seats, both are thoroughly drenched. Nick put the keys in the ignition and breathed out in exhaustion.

"I don't see why this can't wait." He told his partner in agitation. "I mean, what's the point of dragging us out in the rain when the same stuff is gonna be there after it's stopped?"

Sara could tell this is going to be a car ride full of venting. Poor Nick has no doubt been going through a rough time, and a rainy, miserable day only made it seem worse.

"I guess the possibility we might save something." Sara pointed out, but didn't really see the point herself. She'd much rather be in the lab processing evidence, doing reports, or doing crossword puzzles in the break room on a day like this.

"Yeah." Nick placed his hand on the back of Sara's headrest once again as he started to back out of his parking space. However, the other Denali parked next to him was blocking his view, and a car passing by honked its horn loudly at their SUV. Nick slammed on the brakes just in time and then smacked the steering wheel in frustration. "God dammit!"

He paused long enough to let the car pass, then proceeded to start backing out once again. Sara ventured a glance over in his direction, worrying that his mood was going to affect him doing his job and his driving skills.

"You alright?" She asked a bit cautiously, not wanting to piss him off any more than he already was. It was pretty hard to get Nick in a bad mood, but once he was in one, you better watch out.

"Just great." He muttered sarcastically as he maneuvered around the parking lot. Sara looked straight ahead, the rain drumming down hard on the windshield, trickling down the side window. If she'd been driving with anyone else, she would've just let the bad mood go, but she really considered Nick a good friend. He didn't really have anyone to talk to, so she dutifully offered her ear.

"You wanna talk about it?" She offered, looking over at her troubled partner and friend. Nick's arm was resting against his door, his fingers resting in a rather ticked-off pose between his mouth and nose in contemplation. He doesn't answer for several moments, and Sara figured that was a no. However, after some silence, he began to spill.

"Things with Madeline are just…" He let out a troubled sigh, not even knowing where to begin with all these feelings he had. Nick wished that Lauren was closer by, because he sensed that a lot of this angst his daughter was experiencing had to do with being without her mother. "She won't talk to me."

"Well, she hasn't exactly been well-behaved this week. If she's in trouble with you, I doubt she really wants to open up much to you." Sara pointed out logically.

"That's the thing. She never used to hold grudges. I don't know if it's because she's getting older, or it has to do with the divorce…" His voice went up in question, not knowing what to think about his pre-teen. She was starting to be more and more of a mystery to him every day, and she didn't readily give out many clues.

"Nick, I know you try really hard to be a good father, but sometimes a girl just needs her mother." Sara told him honestly. There had been many times during her own teen years where she felt at a loss without her mom. "Especially now that she's hitting her teen years."

"Yeah, Lauren really picked the perfect time to walk out on us." Nick commented bitterly. He admitted he was clueless about his daughter sometimes, and had relied heavily on female input in raising her, especially since his wife had left. He heard all the time about how important it was for a kid to have a father in her life, but did all kids act like they didn't want their fathers around? It was frustrating how Madeline acted the way she did, and deep down supposedly she needed him and actually wanted him to check in on her and offer advice.

"What I meant was, make sure she talks to her mom. And if you ever need anything – anything at all, you can always call me. Maybe I can help." She offered as he braked at a stoplight. Sara wasn't trying to just be nice, she truly cared for Nick and Madeline, and wanted to help them any way she could. Surely, Madeline would soon be going through, if she hadn't already, some things that would be embarrassing to talk about with her father. A teenage girl didn't want to talk about boys with her father, or remind him to pick up some maxi pads at Target. At least not any teenage girls that she knew. What she knew about Madeline, Sara really didn't think she was the type of girl who would open up to her father about this.

"Thanks, Sar." He whispered, knowing Sara meant what she said. Throughout all the drama with Lauren, she had always been there for him, whether it was just venting, or going out to a club together to let off some steam. "I know she misses her mom. It's weird, though, because they were never particularly close. They're polar opposites."

Sara smiled and nodded, thinking of ditzy Lauren in comparison with tomboy Madeline. "Madeline is so much like you it's scary." Sara said, hoping to lighten up the conversation a little. Both of them knew that Maddie was really a good kid just going through a rough time. Sara suspected the reason they fought so much was because they were both so alike in their stubbornness.

"Yeah, I guess. Maybe that's why we fight so much." He sighed and released his cell phone from the clip on his belt. It bothered him that he had left for work without fixing things with Madeline. Though she wouldn't tell him exactly what it was, he felt he should've tried a little harder. "Sorry. I'm just gonna make a quick call."

"Sure." Sara told him, wishing again that she could give him more privacy, but it was impossible in a car. Nick selected the home phone on his caller ID and pressed dial, just wanting to tell Madeline he was thinking of her and he loved her. He waited through several rings, hoping she'd pick up, but soon he heard the answering machine pick up and his own voice on the other end. Back at the house, Madeline stared at the caller ID, seeing it was her father, and chose to ignore it. Nick sighed and clicked his cell phone off. He was trying so hard to reach Madeline, but it seemed no matter how hard he tried, she just didn't want his help.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: I suck because I haven't updated. Thanks for the reviews!!_

Impatiently, Nick Stokes rubbed his short hair and cleared his throat as the phone rang for the third time. He'd tried to call his ex-wife, Lauren, twice before, and Madeline had called four times also, but to no avail. So now, at well past eleven o'clock, he was calling again, having said good night to an obviously upset twelve-year-old. After a certain amount of prying, Nick had been able to get out of Madeline that she'd wanted to talk to her mother, but couldn't get hold of her. He desperately wished she would talk to him more about her feelings, but she'd refused – just rolled away from him and buried her face in her warm, fluffy pillow. Nick hated that she seemed to find more comfort in bedding than in him.

Nick was about to hang up when the other line finally picked up. There was a slight rustling over the phone, and then Lauren's tired voice called out. "Hello?" She sounded like she'd been drunk off her ass. Nick knew she was already seeing other people, which hurt, because she'd been his world. How could she get over him so fast, and his heart still be left broken and hung out to dry?

"Hey. It's me." Nick answered simply, and began pacing his bedroom, wishing that somehow he could throttle her over the phone. Madeline seemed to need her mother now more than ever, and Lauren hadn't been there for her. It didn't seem to matter that he had, because apparently pre-teen girls don't communicate with their fathers. Madeline had always talked to him. He had always been her confidant, but all of a sudden it had all stopped and it was like he was living with a stranger.

"What do you want?" Her groggy voice and dismissive attitude only irritated him more. He thought, when they'd first gotten married, that she'd get over her irresponsible nature and grow up, especially when they had a kid together, but she never had. Lauren valued her independence and her partying lifestyle. She was a free spirit. But didn't she know how much Madeline needed her? Weren't mothers supposed to sense things about their children? Had she not seen the phone number on her caller ID?

"Well, it's not what I want. Your daughter's been trying to call you all night." There was no hiding the annoyance in his voice. After over ten years of marriage, Lauren knew that tone well, and it wasn't one she was fond of. It made her downright defensive sometimes, but Nick wasn't going to back down this time – not after how upset he'd seen Madeline. Just because she was a thousand miles away, didn't mean Lauren got to be a hands-off parent. Nick sure as hell knew that if he had to be away from his daughter, he'd be calling her every day.

"Well, then put her on." Lauren suggested in a mock sing-songy voice. At her apartment in New York City, she climbed out of her bed, currently occupied by the latest twenty-something pretty face, the scent of her ex on her bed sheets gradually being covered by the scent of many others, and slipped on her robe to talk in private. She certainly didn't tell her flings about her ex-husband and the fact that she had a twelve year old daughter. Her body sure didn't show it, and she was proud of that.

"Well, you see I can't, because Madeline's bedtime is nine thirty, and you've been ignoring our calls." His voice was taking on a mocking tone also, tired of having to spell things out for Lauren. She just didn't get how important being a mother was. Madeline was his world, and it sickened him that his ex wasn't giving her the attention she needed.

"Sorry for having a life. I had company." She retorted, raking a few tangles out of her hair with her fingers.

"Your daughter should be your life, not the flavor of the week." Nick gritted out through his teeth, though he still managed to keep his voice low. Madeline had overheard enough of their fights over the years, and he knew it upset her. When she would start crying as a little girl, he'd always been the one to go comfort her, rarely Lauren, telling her that sometimes adults have fights about things and not to worry. Perhaps that's why Madeline rejecting him lately really hurt – she'd always let him in before, and now she'd closed the door.

Lauren sighed in annoyance. "What did she want?"

"I don't know. She won't talk to me. So she went to bed upset."

"She'll be fine, Nick. You know how dramatic she can be." Lauren tried to dismiss it.

"I don't think this is dramatics, Lauren. She's been goin' through a rough time lately, which is the reason I wanted to talk to you also."

"Nick, now's not a good ti-"

"You know how she used to like gymnastics? Well, she's slacking off so much that her coach is questioning whether she can advance to the next level. She's been mouthing off to her coaches and teachers, and she's pretty much shutting herself down from me. And the one person she wanted to talk to was too busy screwin' some guy to talk to her own daughter."

"Well then just let her quit gymnastics, Nick, if she's not enjoying it anymore." Lauren sometimes didn't understand his style of parenting. She was more of the type to just let Madeline do what she wanted as long as she was well-behaved, and didn't probe into Maddie's feelings much. Nick always wanted to find out the source of things, and wouldn't rest until he did. If she suddenly lost interest in one of her favorite activities, Nick wanted to know why, and he wanted to talk things out with her to make sure it's what she really wanted.

"That's the thing. I think she wants to enjoy but she's got so much to deal with right now, with you bein' gone and all this teenage girl crap I have no idea to handle. I'm treading water here, Lauren, and you're off having the time of your life?"

Lauren hated when her ex called just to have rants at her. He always seemed to think she was doing something wrong, and thought he was all high and mighty when it came to parenting. "Did you just call to bitch at me? Because frankly I don't need it right now."

"Apparently you do, because you're gonna ruin your relationship with your daughter if you don't start getting more involved." He told her bluntly. Not that he wanted her in his life, but Madeline desperately needed her. That's one of many sacrifices Nick would make for his only kid. Now that he was looking back, it had been obvious that Lauren was not mother material – only the lust got in the way. Back when they'd met, things had gotten passionate fast, and they couldn't get enough of each other. Lauren had gotten pregnant accidentally, so Nick insisted that they wed, even though they were far from ready to take that step. It had worked for a while. They raised Madeline together happily for several years, but it soon became apparent to Nick that his wife's heart wasn't in their family or in him. After years of fighting, they'd finally called it quits, becoming another statistic.

"Oh, come on. Like you want me in Madeline's life. When we were married, apparently I was so toxic to her you couldn't stand to look at me sometimes." Lauren spoke harshly, feeling herself getting riled up again, like she often got when she and Nick talked on the phone.

"You never put Maddie first. It's always been about you!" Nick spat, trying hard to keep his voice down. He didn't understand how Lauren could be so selfish, and not care that it was affecting Maddie so much. Sometimes Lauren seemed to be more childish that their own kid.

"I always came second! You never showed me the kind of love you showed Madeline. You know how disheartening it is to be ignored for someone else?"

"It's called being a good mother. You should really try it sometime."

"Yea, well if you weren't so damn critical of me all the time, maybe our marriage would have lasted. But you couldn't keep your judgmental mouth shut about anything."

"No, don't you dare put this all on me. You were the one who partied until all hours of the night while I stayed home with Madeline, even when she was a baby. You were never involved raising Madeline, and you left me to do all the work. Do you know how exhausting that is? And I stayed with you this long for Maddie's sake, but I'm beginning to see that was a pretty stupid idea because…"

"Stop!" An upset, tearful yell interrupted Nick's rant from the doorway. He turned to see Madeline standing there in her pajamas, her eyes swimming with tears and digging in to his heart. Who knew how long she'd been standing outside the door, but obviously she'd heard more than enough. Nick had been so caught up in his 'conversation', he hadn't even heard her bedroom door open. "She'll never come back if you keep yelling at her! I hate you!"

Nick was speechless for several moments, not knowing quite what to say to either person.

"Nice going, Nick." Lauren retorted childishly, having heard her daughter yelling in the background.

Nick bit back a comeback. "I have to go." He gritted through his teeth. Of course, he was the one that dealt with all the aftermath of their fighting – that's how it always had been. Not that he minded comforting Madeline at all, but this time she seemed more ticked than upset. And though he had five sisters, certain things about girls remained a mystery to him. After dropping the cordless phone to his bed, Nick turned to face the wet-faced twelve year old staring holes through him.

"Madeline, I'm sorry you had to overhe-"

"Am I that much of a pain in the ass to you?" She demanded tearfully. "That I made you stay with Mom even when you didn't love her?"

"No, baby, it's complicated." He tried to dismiss it, not wanting to subject Madeline to all the horrible truths that were involved in being married to her mother. "I loved your Mom for a lot of years, but we just fell out of love. It had nothing to do with you."

"And so now you're stuck dealing with me?" She backed up when he took a step towards her, matching his moves with the polar opposite like he was toxic. Maddie didn't want any of his hugs right now, because they both knew that would make her break down crying even more. She wasn't going to let him take the easy way out like that, because she wanted to know the truth. He wanted to be the nice guy, but Madeline was finding out that even nice guys did bad things sometimes.

Nick sighed apologetically and stared at the carpet a few moments, knowing his words on the phone hadn't come out right. Well, they'd come out perfect directed towards his ex, but it definitely wasn't a conversation he wanted his young daughter to overhear. "Madeline, you know you mean the world to me. Being a single parent is just very hard sometimes."

Madeline let out an unimpressed, unsympathetic sound. "Yeah. Especially when your daughter is someone as annoying as me." She retorted, then left the room before Nick could disagree otherwise. Nick heard her door slam moments later – a habit of her mother's she'd apparently picked up. The father collapsed onto his bed, putting his face in his hands in pure frustration. He'd tried to stick up for his kid; tried to make her mother realize how much she was needed, and now she was mad at him. How come he was trying his best, and everyone seemed to hate him for it?

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Sara and Cody sat around their small kitchen table – the one they'd always had, that was only built for two. They'd never had need for a bigger one, and Sara often wondered if she would ever get the need to go shopping for a bigger one. That would mean her life was turning around – that she'd found a man she loved, and that would be a good father to Cody. It would be a red-letter day, Sara decided, when she finally got to buy a big kitchen table.

As usual, Cody was next to silent as he pushed around some green beans on his plate. Green beans were his favorite vegetable, next to broccoli oddly, so Sara was confused as to why he hadn't touched the greenery. His face was sullen as it often was these days. Sara always tried – she tried to get to the bottom of why her little boy wasn't a happy, vibrant, energetic first grader like the other seven years olds she knew. It's not that he led a depressing life – just not a particularly wonderful one. Sara always felt bad for kids and adults in single-parent households, and had vowed to never marry and have kids until she was absolutely sure she'd found the right person. But of course, shit happens. It scared her to death that psychologist always say you look for someone similar to your father in a mate. Did that mean she was doomed to marry someone who wasn't good enough? That was push her around and put her down? Maybe that's why after almost forty years of life, she was still single. There was no way in hell she would settle for someone like her own father.

"What did you do at school today?" Sara hated that often she seemed to resort to small talk with her own son. Still, it was a genuine question.

Cody's shoulder went up and down silently and stared at his plate full of food. "Same old stuff." He mumbled.

"Yeah? Do you have any homework to do tonight?" The clanking of their silver wear on the plates reminded Sara of just how silent their house was. It wasn't uncommon they sat silently at the table, listening to that single solitary sound. Cody nodded, still not making any eye contact with his mother.

Sara cleared her throat and put her silver wear down on her plate. Folding her arms in front of herself on the table, she leaned forward. "Cody, I can tell something's bothering you. You know it usually makes you feel better if you talk to me about it." She offered gently.

"The assignment I have to do is stupid. And I'm not doing it." He grumbled, resting his head against his fist in frustration as he stabbed a few green beans with the other.

"What assignment is that?"

"We have to make a family tree." He said like it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. Sara sighed and ran a hand through her straight, brown hair. She had never told Cody's teacher the truth about their family. Why would she? It was very personal, and not something she readily shared with anyone. Sara hadn't even considered the possibility of some lame assignment handed out by an oblivious teacher would come up someday to bite her in the butt. Cody was much too young to know the truth, but she also didn't want to lie to him. Sara was proud of their open relationship, and wanted it to stay that way throughout Cody's life.

"I see." Sara nodded, her voices displaying her empathy for the boy. She'd always been vague when it came to telling Cody about his father, in hopes of keeping the truth under wraps for a few more years. "And you're nervous about it because our family is different?"

Cody nodded and un-impaled the green beans from his fork, then stabbed them again. "I don't have any brothers or sisters or cousins. I don't know my dad, or my grandparents, and Uncle Mark never calls us at all."

"Yeah, that's rough, sweetheart. I'd like you to know more of your family, but it's just not possible."

"Why not?" Cody finally made eye contact with his mother, demanding an answer. "Why can't I meet my dad?"

So many reasons. "Well, for one thing, I don't know where he is."

"You find missing people all the time at work."

Damn, that kid was too smart for his own good.

"That's true. But your father doesn't want to be found."

His tiny eyebrows furrowed in thought. "He doesn't want to know me?"

"I'm sure he would want to know you." Sara wasn't sure if that was the truth, but what kid needs to know his father doesn't know he exists, and if he did, probably wouldn't be involved. Was Sara a bad person for not ever wanting her own child's father involved in his life? "It's just very complicated."

Cody hated that answer. That's what all adults told kids when they thought they were too dumb to understand a problem. He could accept the truth, whatever it was. With as much command and decisiveness a little kid could muster up, he replied, "I want to know."

This time, Sara had to look away. She considered just spilling the truth to him right then, but no. Seven was too young. No matter how grown up he seemed, she didn't think he could handle it at this stage in his life. He was so emotional, anyway. Cody didn't need those thoughts clouding his mind.

"No, Cody. I'm sorry. Maybe when you're older."

Cody slammed one of his hands down on the kitchen table, his face contorting into a horrible expression, like he'd been wronged deeply. And perhaps he had, but Sara was sure if he knew the truth right now, he'd be even more upset, and she didn't want to do that to him. Maybe it was selfish, but Sara didn't think she could handle dealing with all that emotion right now. "Why do you always treat me like a baby?!"

"Cody, you're just too young right now."

Cody threw his fork down on the floor – a rare display of defiance and stood up in his chair. "May I be excused?" He snapped.

Sara rubbed her temple and sighed. "Pick up that fork and then you can go."

Cody did as his mother asked and then stormed off to his bedroom. If she wasn't so upset herself, she might have laughed at how he could switch back and forth from being defiant to polite. Once her son had left, Sara guiltily stood up also and picked up both plates, carrying them to the sink. She wasn't that hungry any more. How much longer could she keep the truth about his father from Cody? Hardly anyone but Sara knew the real truth anyway, not that she wanted Cody finding out from anyone else but her. Sara had always pictured herself telling Cody, if he wanted to know, when he was about twelve or thirteen – old enough to understand. Would he hate her for keeping things from him? Or would he be sympathetic towards her? All the emotions of what was, how things are, and how things might be in the future, overwhelmed Sara and she broke down crying. It wasn't her fault all this had happened. Why was she the one that had to deal with all the agony?


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Reviews are like crack._

Waking up a twelve year old girl could be a bit of a risk anyway, but as Nick approached Madeline's door the next morning, he had to take a minute to prepare himself. He couldn't believe that he'd been speaking so loudly that Madeline had overheard a conversation he didn't in a million years want her to listen to. It's not like he wasn't speaking the truth on the phone with Lauren, but it had been a conversation between parents. Sometimes he got overwhelmed with single parenthood, and he got no pity from Lauren. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't love Madeline ridiculously, but it had probably sounded that way. How was he going to explain this away to a child? Maddie was already giving him the cold shoulder. What was he in for now?

He pushed the door open, finding her sleeping soundly amongst her canopy bed adorned with way too many pillows, and a book rested next to her, face down on the comforter. The kid often fell asleep reading a book at night. She wasn't exactly a graceful sleeper either. Her ponytail was loosened as usual by all her tossing about, one foot was hooked around the edge of the mattress, and the comforter was twisted and contorted. Nick sat on the edge of the bed just to watch her in this innocent state, because he knew that in a few moments she would probably be scowling at him once again. When she was a little girl, he would wake her by pulling her into his lap for a good-morning cuddle. He would slowly coax her out of sleep, getting her to talk and open those blue eyes of hers. Nick couldn't remember exactly when she'd gotten too big for that, but of course she had. Still, she was no good at getting up right away.

His hand reached out and gently began to shake her upper arm. "Madeline, sweetheart." He called her gently. "Time for school."

The twelve year old stirred with a groan and turned to face away from him, hoping to catch a few more winks. While a few more seconds wouldn't make any difference, it sure didn't feel that way in the morning. Nick smiled and patted her back. "Come on. You hop in the shower and I'll have breakfast ready for you when you're done."

"I'm not hungry." She managed to mumble out tiredly. Nick smirked a little and scooted up her bed more to turn on her bedside lamp. The faint light irritated the girl's eyes, so she put her hand up to shield them.

"You need to eat, baby. You know that." Gymnastics was hard work, especially doing it almost every single day after school. Madeline knew that a good start to her day was vital. However, she wasn't exactly in the mood to comply with his every request after what had happened last night.

"Will you make me pancakes?"

Nick tousled her hair a little and she didn't pull away. "Maybe on the weekend, sweetie. You don't have much time before school."

"Mom used to make me pancakes before school." She spitefully pointed out, forever reminding him what had been taken away from her. In her eyes, her father was to blame for her mother leaving. If he didn't pick fights with her so much about how she acted, and how they were raising her together, maybe her mom would've been happier and stayed.

"I'm sorry, Madeline. There's just not enough time during the week. I'll make some for you on Saturday."

Madeline grumbled and threw her sheets off, climbing out the other side of bed. Soon, she'd disappeared from the room and Nick heard the shower running in the bathroom. He sighed in disappointment as he stood up to go fix them bowls of cereal. At least she hadn't bitten his head off, but once again their interaction left him feeling cold and empty inside.

In the shower, Madeline let the warm water cascade over her dark brown hair, letting the temperature invigorate her and wake her up. She could hear her stomach growl over the sound of the shower. Madeline was disappointed that her father hadn't noticed – she purposely hadn't eaten in over two days now. Not that she wanted to turn anorexic or anything. She'd seen all the after-school TV specials in health class, and Madeline would never do that to herself. But what if he thought she wasn't eating enough? Madeline was hoping he would notice she hadn't been eating and pay attention to her more. Sure, she could act up in school, or ignore her chores and get his attention that way, but the results really weren't all that pleasant. She longed for him to be concerned and worried about her; for him to take care of her and check up on her, and to be the focus of all his attention . Maddie felt weird for craving his attention, but that's how she felt. He'd been so distant since her mom left, in his own little world. Sometimes, she wanted to scream, _I'm still here. Pay attention to me_. But it was never quite that simple. How much longer would it take for him to notice she wasn't eating? It was really starting to get painful and tiresome not eating. Maddie kind of wanted to make him suffer a little, worrying about whether she was eating or not. Her parents had put her through so much, it was time her father understood some pain.

Twenty minutes later, Madeline was dressed and had come downstairs to get some breakfast. Her dad was already at the kitchen table sipping his coffee and looking through the newspaper. As always, he'd left her bowl of dry cereal on the kitchen counter with a spoon, so when she came down all she had to do was pour the milk in. Today, she bypassed the cereal and just poured herself a glass of water. She took a few gulps, just enough to keep herself going, and poured the rest out in the sink. Then, she picked up her backpack in the living room and walked to where her father was sitting. She waited a few moments before he crinkled the paper down to look at her.

"Are you gonna eat your cereal?" He asked her.

Madeline shook her head. "I took a breakfast bar from the cabinet. I forgot, I need to go talk to one of my teachers before school starts." She lied, hoping he would see through it, sit her down and have a talk with her. She wanted him to look out for her, and to be able to tell when she was fibbing and notice that she hadn't eaten for an entire day. However, he just nodded and folded up his newspaper, and fished around in his workbag for the car keys. Disappointed, Madeline followed him out and got into his truck. Now she would have about fifteen extra minutes to kill before school started.

She didn't put on her seat belt, hoping he would notice and give her a reminder, but he was too oblivious to even notice that. Madeline buckled up as they began driving down their suburban street. Both were silent for a couple minutes, listening to the morning radio show, but then Nick reached out and turned the volume down. Madeline hoped he was going to ask why she wasn't eating her breakfast bar, but of course he started talking to her about her mother and the phone call last night. That's not what she wanted to talk about it, because she knew it would get her upset. Why were her feelings so confusing, that she wanted him to ask her about certain things, and not others? Was she the only kid in the world who felt this way?

"Did I wake you up last night?" Nick asked as he took a left turn. Madeline sighed and paused before answering.

"It's kind of hard to ignore when you're yelling on the phone." She pointed out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was being so loud." He told her honestly. Sometimes when he got worked up, he didn't even notice his voice was getting louder. That's how the fights escalated with Lauren. He would talk louder, and so would she, and soon enough, they were having a shouting match. It made Nick ashamed that he resorted to shouting matches with his wife on occasion, because that's not the way he normally interacted with anyone. Even past girlfriends, he had never raised his voice or shouted. Nick just guessed that's what marriage did to some people. Still, it wasn't fair Maddie had to listen to it.

Madeline didn't answer, not willing to let him think it was okay, just because he'd apologized. There was nothing she hated more that listening to her parents fight. It tore at her heart and made her cry, just wishing it would stop and that her parents were happy and in love again.

"I was upset. And I said some things that weren't fair, especially for you to hear."

This wasn't the first time Madeline had heard this apology. She'd lost count of how many times he'd had to apologize for raising his voice and upsetting her.

"Then why'd you say them?" Adults had a way of complicating things way too much.

Nick sighed, wishing he knew the answer to that one, and took his best shot. "Well, as you know, certain things about the way your mom lives her life I don't agree with and I get worked up. I didn't like that you were trying to get hold of her and she didn't call you back."

"You didn't have to yell." Madeline murmured.

Nick glanced over at his daughter with regret. Why did it always seem like he was doing the wrong thing with her? He tried his best, but he still messed up.

"You're right, Maddie. Some adult problems are just really frustrating." Nick knew it was a lame-ass excuse as soon as it left his mouth, and Maddie sure didn't seem to be buying it. "And I didn't mean what I said about getting stuck being a single parent. I love being your dad, and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Nick was hoping for some kind of a response, but Maddie just looked out the window and stayed silent. He knew she didn't like to talk about the divorce, but there were some thing she just needed to hear. Now that he'd gotten his apology out, Nick felt a little better about things.

A couple minutes later, Nick pulled up to Madeline's middle school and stopped while she got her backpack ready. "I'll see you after practice, baby. Have a good day."

"Yeah. I'll try." She almost whispered as she opened the door, not looking at him at all.

"Love you." He called when she stepped out, thinking she seemed a bit down this morning. Nick received a grunt in response before she closed the door and then walked up the steps for another long day.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

At three thirty that afternoon, Mrs. Murphy dropped Madeline and her own daughter Casey off at the gym for their daily practice. Maddie didn't know how she was going to make it through this practice, and hoped this was finally her ticket to a little positive parental interaction. Was it worth it, though, to feel the way she was feeling right now? It felt like her insides was eating itself alive. Her stomach had grumbled so much during history class that her teacher told her to get up and go get a drink. Surely, if she performed poorly yet again at gymnastics practice today, the coach would want to talk to her dad, he'd figure out what was wrong with her, worry about her so much he finally got over his own self-pity, and go back to the way he used to be. That sounded so messed up in her mind, but somehow it made sense to her.

Madeline began stretching with the rest of the group, trying to find some energy. Within the first few minutes, she knew she definitely couldn't last like this, not even through another practice. In fact, she felt so tired she didn't think she could even perform a handstand for five seconds. She needed to do something soon that would get peoples' attention, and do it fast. Something that would really make her dad worry. Within a few moments, she knew.

After the warm-up stretches, Madeline and two other girls were told to go to start at the vault. They usually began with a simple handspring over the apparatus, and work up to more challenging skills. When it was Maddie's turn, she took a deep breath and closed her tired eyes before running as fast as she could towards the vault, successfully performed the handspring, and stuck her landing for once. Her coach clapped her hands a couple times and praised her effort. Madeline took a step forward, and then proceeded to dramatically faint face-down on the mat. Predictably, she heard her coach jogging over to the mat to see what was the matter, calling out her name, asking her to respond. Soon, she was flipped over and Jane was gently patting the side of her face and jiggling her arm to get her to come too. Her forehead was felt; her pulse was taken; another girl was ordered to bring water as Madeline laid as limply as she could, acting completely out of it. Jane told one of the other coaches to call her father. But events took an unexpected turn when Maddie heard Jane begin to call an ambulance.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

It was a very slow day at the lab. Nobody was killing anybody, which was definitely a good thing, but made for a pretty boring day for the CSI's. They'd busted out some paperwork about an hour ago, taking up residence in the break room, offices, or other rooms. Nick and Sara had both ended up at the table in the break room together, always enjoying each other's company. Plus, these days, both seemed to need some advice from the other on their kid.

As Sara scribbled down some notes on one of her files, she noticed how Nick was constantly rubbing at his temple and forehead, a frustrated look on his face, barely making progress on his own file.

"You look stressed out." She finally commented after noticing he'd reread the same page at least three times. Nick looked up and squinted his eyes, as if he'd forgotten someone else was with him in the room. Dropping his pencil on top of the file, he scrubbed both hands over his face and then stretched out, letting his hands rest on top of his head. Sara caught a glimpse of his beautiful abs and the way they tensed while he stretched, but quickly focused on his face before he noticed.

"Yeah." He didn't deny it. Things had been going so well for a while, but now the whole divorce had him stressed, and Madeline wasn't exactly being easy. He went on to explain the events of the night before, and how upset Madeline had been.

"I feel so guilty, you know, and Lauren doesn't seem to care and it just pisses me off." He told his friend, shaking his head. "And you know I love Maddie, but raising her alone is harder than I thought."

"Being a single parent is hard." Sara agreed with him, having raised Cody single-handedly from the day he was born. Going through the pregnancy alone hadn't been easy either, but she'd done it. Things had been going relatively well until Cody started asking about his father. He'd pestered her about it again this morning, and Cody had gone off to school unhappy and upset.

"Do you have many problems with Cody? He seems like such a good kid." Nick told her honestly. He definitely took after his mother, already into science and decidedly nerdy things like chess and ant farms. Nick wondered what his father was like, but Sara never talked about him.

Sara was able to smirk now about her son. She didn't think he had a bad bone in his body. "He's not a problem for the most part. The other day, his teacher assigned the class to make family trees and he got upset, because it's basically just him and me."

Sara didn't want to go much further, because she didn't want Nick asking about Cody's father either. She'd hardly told anybody about his father, and preferred to keep it that way. It wasn't a story she was proud of, and she definitely didn't want Nick to think any less of her.

"Yeah, that's rough. Does he know much about his father and your parents?" He probed a little, hitting unknowingly on a very sensitive subject. He already knew about the drama surrounding Sara's parents, and knew it had been hard for her to share. She'd cried and been so upset about it, he had always been afraid to ask about Cody's father. She never spoke of him, and he was never around, so it seemed like a sore subject. Nick didn't want to push his luck.

In a way, Sara wanted to confide in Nick about the events that had led up to her pregnancy with Cody. He was such a good friend, and she knew he'd be understanding and supportive, but one thing Sara didn't want to be perceived as was weak. Sara wore her badge of 'single mother' with pride; it was a symbol she'd gotten through that whole mess, and that she and Cody were doing okay.

"He doesn't know anything about his father." Sara kept her eyes focused on a random spot on the table, knowing that if she looked at Nick's eyes, the understanding she found might cause her to share too much. She didn't even know how she'd gone seven years without spilling the truth to him.

Nick nodded, wanting to know more. He proceeded cautiously, keeping his voice low even though there was no one else in the room. "Does his father know about him?"

Sara felt slightly panicked, wondering if Nick was seeing through her vagueness. "No, he doesn't." She answered simply, though she knew he wanted her to elaborate more.

"Sara," Nick began in a tone that revealed he was getting serious, "Who is Cody's father, if you don't mind me asking."

Before Sara even got a chance to think about how to answer that, Nick's cell phone rang. If it hadn't been important, Sara knew he wouldn't answer, because that's the kind of friend he was. Once he invested his attention in someone, there was no taking his concern away, unless his daughter needed him.

"Sorry." He apologized as he saw on the caller ID that it was Maddie's gym. If she'd mouthed off to Jane again, that girl would have hell to pay when he got her home. Sara nodded in understanding as he flipped his phone open. "Stokes."

Sara watched his face turn to confusion and then a horrible worry that she'd never seen before as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. "She fainted? Why?"

Nick stood up from his chair, flipping his files shut with one hand while he fished for his keys with the other. Sara's heart dropped, wanting to know what on earth was going on that had Nick this worried. Obviously, it was about Madeline, and it was something relatively serious. Sara truly cared about Maddie almost like a member of her own family, and she didn't know how they would all go on if something happened to her.

"You think she's fine? But the paramedics are checking her out now right?" Nick listened to her coach, Jane, on the other line, her voice sounding calm and collected, and not so worried. She'd explained how Maddie had just keeled over after landing her vault. It hadn't been an awful fall, like his fear had always been. Apparently, the paramedics who were still checking her out didn't think her condition was serious enough to load her up in the ambulance and take her to the hospital.

"Okay. Well I'm on my way over. Call me if they decide to take her to the ER after all." They exchanged goodbyes and Nick snapped his phone shut and looked down at Sara, who was hanging on his every word.

"What's going on?"

Nick sighed and rubbed his face with his hand, still feeling anxious and worried. Jane had assured him Madeline was just fine, but he wasn't going to believe it until he saw her. In his book, calling an ambulance was great cause for worry. "Apparently, Madeline fainted at practice. They called an ambulance, and she seems to be fine, but I wanna head over there. Will you tell Grissom, cause I really need to go."

Sara assured him she'd deliver the news to their boss, and was sure Grissom would understand why Nick had to disappear so fast. He was gone in the blink of an eye, their intense, very personal conversation now forgotten, leaving Sara slightly confused, relieved, disappointed, but most of all concerned for Madeline.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Please keep them coming! I love youuuu!_

After a private discussion with one of the EMTs determining that Madeline was just fine, other than looking a bit famished, Nick made the decision to take his daughter home for the rest of the day. He couldn't believe how out of it he'd been that he didn't notice how tired she'd been. As he followed her into their home, it was obvious to him now that she must not have been eating very well, if at all. His normally vivacious, spunky little girl didn't seem to have the normal pep as she walked, and it looked like she needed to be tucked into bed for an extra-long nap. She'd told him this morning she grabbed a breakfast bar – what reason did he have to doubt that? Obviously, something was going on with Madeline and he was going to find out. That is, if she'd actually talk to him.

Madeline sighed as she let her heavy backpack and gym bag fall to the floor in its usual spot next to the kitchen table. She was exhausted today like she normally was after a gymnastics practice, only this time she hadn't physically exerted any energy at all. Her messed-up plan had gone well so far – Jane had called her father, and he'd taken her home. He'd been silent in the car, as well as herself, which she hoped was because he was realizing how distant and self-absorbed he'd been lately. Maybe today was the turning point; the day they'd grow close again, and that's how it would stay always. Then he'd call her mom and apologize for all those times he yelled at her, and she'd forgive him and move back in, and she'd have a mother again. And she'd be better at it this time, not dismissive and self-centered like she'd done before. Maddie read it in books all the time – the child's drama causes the parent to realize her evil ways. Surely it could happen in real life.

Maddie turned and wrapped her arms around her father, hoping he would start his comforting and realize what was bothering her.

"Daddy, I was so scared." She confessed in most innocent, feel-sorry-for-me tone. Nick's arms wrapped around her warmly and a fatherly kiss was placed to her head as he patted her back. Maddie's tummy involuntarily rumbled loudly, begging for food, reminding Nick that they had some serious talking to do.

"I bet you were." Nick acknowledged, wishing she was as easy to figure out as she was when she was five. Back then, all it took was pulling her into his lap for a little sweet talking, and she'd spill her guts. Now, she wasn't so easily swayed. There was more at stake, he supposed. He'd been through his own drama at age twelve, but knew it was much different for girls, especially nowadays.

Nick decided to get right to the point. "Madeline, have you been eating?"

She seemed a little shocked that he'd just jump into asking that question right away, tensing in his arms for a moment. "Huh?"

"Well that's why you fainted, isn't it? His hands gently pulled her back from his chest a little so he could look at her eyes. When she lied or fibbed, it showed easily in those blue orbs of hers.

"Uhh yea. I just didn't feel like eating." She answered a moment or so later, then rested her head back against him again. Nick furrowed his eyebrows and pulled her away once again. His daughter wasn't a pig by any means, but she did love her food, and she did have to eat a lot to keep her energy level for gymnastics. Nick had never once known his daughter to not feel like eating unless she'd been throwing up.

"You're trying to sell that story to me?" Nick asked her honestly as he began steering her towards the kitchen. "You and I both know you can't keep yourself out of the kitchen for the life of you. And all of a sudden you quit eating?"

Madeline crossed her arms and leaned back against the counter as her father waited for a response, standing in front of her. Only, she didn't really know what to say for some reason.

"Why haven't you been eating?" Nick repeated calmly, trying to stay understanding and patient. He'd seen the awful made for TV movies about gymnasts starving themselves for the sake of a few more inches in the air; of horrible coaches pushing girls too hard, resulting in the girl's skewed body image. None of this seemed to fit Maddie though. She'd always been a well-adjusted, healthy little girl. Why was that all of a sudden changing?

If she told him the truth, that she just wanted his attention, he'd think she was ridiculous. "I wanna be thinner." She replied softly, looking down at the floor.

Nick continued to study her closely. "Since when have you started thinking that way?"

She shrugged.

"Hmmm?"

"I don't know!" She raised her voice a little. Nick stayed silent for a few moments, sensing he was getting closer to the truth.

"You're beautiful, Madeline." He told her, in case she had forgotten. Nick knew in a few short years she would probably look exactly like her mother. Then he'd be in real trouble. "And it's dangerous not to eat, especially when you're in something as physically demanding as gymnastics. I think you know that. Am I right?"

She hated lying to him, and realized she should've known better than thinking he'd just hold her tight and not question her at all. "Yes."

"So, why starve yourself? Is it to get my attention?" He took a stab. It seemed to him that his daughter's attention-seeking behavior had gone up since the divorce, only now it was escalating to another level.

It sounded so stupid to her now. She was starving herself to get his attention? What kind of dumbass did that? Suddenly, Madeline felt embarrassed and ashamed. She turned away to fish a few cookies out of the jar, hoping her lack of an answer would stop her from having to explain, only Nick wasn't going to let her off that easy. His hand on her shoulder stopped her, and with his other, he gently nudged her chin up to look him in the eye.

"Baby, if you ever feel like you're not getting enough attention from me, just come right out and say it." Nick told her with so much love in his voice and his eyes. Maddie got teary eyed and nodded her head. "You don't need to do this to yourself."

"I know." She struggled to keep her voice under control as her chin quivered. "It was stupid."

Nick pulled her to him again for another warm hug. "It was not stupid. Not the greatest idea in the world, but it wasn't stupid. I just want you to talk to me, Maddie, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Maddie could swear she heard her father's voice hitch, and she felt bad that she was the cause of it. She nodded into his chest. "I'll try."

Nick squeezed his daughter a little tighter, then pulled back and kissed her forehead, feeling a bit more relieved now. "Good girl." He cleared his throat. "Now, I'm going to cook you a big dinner. Whatever you want."

Madeline smiled up at him. It was rare he cooked something other than the usual mac and cheese or pizza. "Umm…how about green bean casserole?"

"How'd I know you'd say that?" He smirked and shook her ponytail a little bit as she turned again to grab a few cookies to hold her for a while. For once, he didn't say anything about spoiling her dinner. Nick got out the baking pan, along with the necessary ingredients as Madeline hopped over to the living room to watch television for a while. A couple moments later, the telephone rang, and Nick answered since he was closest.

"Stokes residence." He was silent as he listened to whoever was on the other end. "Hi, Mikayla. Yea, she's right here. Hold on." Nick held the phone out and called to his twelve year old. "Maddie, it's for you. Mikayla."

Madeline thought it was a bit odd that Mikayla was calling her right now, because she was in her gymnastics group and they should still be practicing. She walked on over, though, and took the phone from her father, who went back to mixing the ingredients together in a bowl.

"Mikayla? Aren't you at practice?" She asked, twirling the cord around with one of her fingers.

"Yes. We're on break. And I know you did it on purpose, Madeline!" She said rather loudly. "I'm gonna tell Jane, too. She was so freaked she called the ambulance!"

Maddie felt her face turn red and she felt her father looking at her from across the room. He couldn't have heard that, could he? She chanced a look in his direction and wished she hadn't. The look on his face was very suspicious, and Maddie knew he'd be listening to her every word now. No conversation with him about privacy could sway him away from that.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, Mikayla." She said a bit nervously, hearing the own fear in her voice as she walked out of the kitchen and as far as she could go with the cord attached. "I hadn't eaten in a few days, and I just keeled over all of a sudden."

"Uh huh. Is that why your hands broke your fall at the last second?"

"Could you keep your voice down, please?"

"Why, are you afraid your dad's gonna find out that you lied and made up this whole thing?" She taunted over the phone. Mikayla was one of those frienemies that was nice to you sometimes, but could be a real backstabber.

"Mikayla, just shut up and mind your own business, would you?"

Mikayla let out a dismissive sound and Maddie could just picture her rolling her eyes like she did frequently at practice. "Whatever. I have to get back to practice, even though your lame ass got out of conditioning. Bye."

The dial tone sounded, indicating that her friend had indeed hung up. Maddie sighed and looked at the phone for a few moments, wondering just how much of that her father had overheard. She took a deep breath before turning to return the phone to its holder on the kitchen wall, but found her father standing in the way. He held out his hand to take the phone from her, the displeased look on his face hard to ignore. Maddie handed it over and crossed her arms over her chest, knowing Mikayla had just busted her scheme wide open. Nick hung up the phone with a harsh clank and mirrored his daughter's stance, only he looked much more intimidating.

"And what was that about?" His eyebrows raised, waiting for her explanation. Based on his facial expression, no answer she gave would suffice. Madeline gulped.

"Uhh Mikayla was just calling to check on me." She avoided the real issue at hand, studying her father's shoes.

"You're lying to me." He told her straight up. Nick hadn't been born yesterday, and had faced criminals lying to him for years and years. He didn't understand why Madeline even tried to deny it. "What was that I overheard about you faking things?"

"Daddy, I don't know what she was…"

"Stop it!" He raised his voice. There was nothing he despised more than people lying to him, especially people he loved. "Obviously, there's something goin' on here you don't want me to know about, but we're getting to the bottom right now."

Madeline was beginning to feel cornered, realizing there was no way her dad was going to let this go without her spilling the truth. She narrowed her eyes at him and felt the tears threaten to fall. She decided to put it all back on him. "I wouldn't have had to do it if you would just pay attention to me!"

Nick wouldn't be swayed, however. "Wouldn't have had to do what?"

Madeline breathed in and out seethingly, feeling herself get more and more upset. "Pretend to faint." She managed to spit out, hating him for making her tell the truth.

"Pretend?" He clarified, his voice already full of annoyance and disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you fainting at practice was just an act?"

"I had to because you didn't even notice I hadn't been eating for over two days! If you weren't so self-involved you would've been able to tell."

Nick opened and closed his mouth in disbelief. "Oh, so you're putting this all on me? You put your own safety in jeopardy by not eating, worry everyone to death by pretending to faint resulting in those EMT's wastin' their time coming to the gym to check you out when someone could've been bleedin' to death across town…"

"Okay, I get it!" She cut him off, because he was making her feel so awful. All she'd wanted was his attention – his affection, not him yelling at her.

"I don't think you do." He countered. "You don't mess around with your health like that. A lot of people went out of their way for you, and it was all just for your entertainment. That is really disappointing, Madeline."

This wasn't turning out at all like Madeline had hoped. Now her father was disappointed in her, and all the attention she was getting was negative. He was just looking at her now, like he was waiting for her to say anything to counter his claim. "Wh-what do you want me to say?" She sniffled, wiping at her eyes.

Nick sighed and made his way back over to where he'd been cooking dinner. "I don't think there's anything you can say, Madeline." He pushed the ingredients around a bit vigorously with the mixing spoon. "I think you need to go to your room."

Madeline just cried some more, wishing she could somehow fix this right now so he wouldn't be mad at her. What she'd done was pretty despicable in his mind, and now she felt awful. She ran up to her bedroom, kind of glad to be freed from his piercing glare and disappointed face, but still felt awful nonetheless.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Dinner was ready about forty-five minutes later, so Nick called his daughter down to eat. Madeline felt like he was watching her the whole time, just to make sure she was actually eating the meal. Before, she'd been able to just take her plate up to her room, and he'd just figured she'd eaten all of it when she actually managed to wash it all down the garbage disposal later. They ate in silence, neither in the mood now to have pleasant conversation. About halfway through the meal, Nick's cell phone rang. It was Grissom.

"Yeah." Nick set his fork down and rubbed at his brow while he listened to his boss explain there was an emergency and he needed all the CSI's in as soon as possible.

"Griss, I kind of need to be at home tonight." He tried to get out of it, but Grissom wouldn't relent, insisting that everyone was needed. Nick reluctantly agreed, but didn't like the idea of leaving Madeline alone tonight. She'd had an emotional day, and even though he was angry with her, he felt that he needed to be around her to make sure she was alright. Nick snapped the phone shut and set it on the table as he stabbed a few more green beans with his fork, chewing a little faster.

"That was Grissom. I need to go into work." He told her monotonously. Maddie was eating with her chin propped up in one hand, pushing her beans around.

"Surprise, surprise."

Nick wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up from his chair, grabbing his cell phone also. "You keep eating and I'll be right back. I need to make arrangements."

Madeline was confused. "For me?"

"Uh-huh." He scrolled through his cell phone book as he walked towards his office.

She let her fork clank to her plate in disbelief. "But you always let me stay by myself!"

"Well, when you've betrayed my trust as much as you have today, I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone." He told her honestly. Not that he thought she'd do something particularly crazy, but she needed to know that there were consequences when she broke his trust. Nick heard an angry grumble as he walked to his back office to make a private phone call to Sara. He knew she'd be called in too, and hoped it would be okay for her sitter to watch Madeline for a while also. Sara seemed a bit surprised he wanted a sitter for his twelve year old daughter, but had no problem with Madeline coming over for the evening. Grissom had assured them it would only take a few hours. Nick thanked his friend and returned to the kitchen to gather up his own plate.

"You need to finish up. I'm gonna take you over to Sara's." Nick informed her as he picked up his nearly empty plate. He was a bit relieved to see that most of Madeline's food was gone also. Now that her little secret had surfaced, he didn't think she'd try not eating again, but he sure as hell was going to keep a closer eye on her eating habits.

Madeline gaped at the news. "Sara's?" Her voice sounded almost disgusted. "I'm not going over there. Why can't I just stay here and do my homework?"

"Well, I'm sorry. There are consequences to you lying and pulling crap like you did today." He told her calmly as he began to take his plate to the sink. The next thing he heard was Madeline angrily pushing her chair away from the table.

"Ugghhh!!! You're so mean!! I wanna go live with Mom! You just don't understand ANYTHING!" She screamed at him, all the emotions of the day transforming into one fit of frustration. Nick turned to look at her, fishing an errant piece of food from between a couple of his molars, seemingly unaffected by her display of emotion.

"Go get your shoes and your backpack, please." Was all he said.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Grassy ass again for the reviews! I'll prolly update at the weekend again. Reviews rock my world._

Madeline couldn't believe that her father thought so lowly of her that she deserved to be watched by a sitter. She hadn't had a babysitter in over a year, and while she admitted she'd done some pretty bad things lately, she truly didn't think it warranted having her every move watched by a stranger. Twelve year olds didn't need that kind of supervision. And what's worse, she was going to have to spend the time at Sara Sidle's house with her nerdy son. Cody Sidle reminded her of that dork on Step by Step, Mark Foster. With his over-sized tortoiseshell glasses, slightly wavy hair, and decidedly fashion-blind clothing, Cody was not someone she wanted to be seen with. And why had her father called Sara? It wouldn't have been so bad if he'd sent her to Catherine's to be around Lindsey, or even to one of the other gymnasts' houses. But _here_, she thought as her father pulled up to the two-story cozy looking home. What had she done to deserve this? Madeline decided she wasn't going to make this easy.

"I'm not going in." She grumbled in a rather juvenile, pouty tone. Whenever she talked like that, he would always remind her how old she was, and that only whiny little preschoolers use that voice. However, today she didn't really care that she sounded like a four year old. Her dad needed to know how ridiculous this was, and that she wasn't going to heed his every word like she did when she was little. Hoping for some kind of response, Madeline was left disappointed when Nick shut off the Denali and climbed out wordlessly. Maddie watched him as he walked around the front of the vehicle, his facial expression calm but with that familiar stern look to it, and opened the passenger side door. She didn't budge.

"Out." He ordered her simply, motioning with his head.

"Why can't I go to Catherine's and hang out with Lindsey?" She still fought.

"If you really think I'm gonna reward your less than stellar behavior today with a trip to a friend's house, I have a much bigger problem on my hands than I thought. Out, now. I'm running late already."

Madeline still didn't move and crossed her arms over her chest tightly, staring straight ahead, challenging him.

"Do I need to start counting?"

"Uggh!!" She hated when he treated her like a little kid. Nick used that warning nowadays only when she was acting exceptionally immature. Madeline begrudgingly and dramatically undid her seatbelt, stepped down, and slammed the car door as hard as she could with a scowl on her face. "Mom's right. You're such a jerk."

Nick chose not to respond, and followed his daughter up the walkway, her body tensed and angry, keeping her distance from him. He wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of getting a rise out of him, because he knew that for some reason, that's what she wanted these days.

Madeline stopped and leaned on one of the wood pillars at the side of the house and waited for her dad to ring the doorbell. Sara came to the door moments later, putting her jacket on, her young son just a few steps behind her, looking forlorn and disappointed. Nick supposed the sitter would have two upset children on her hands, and hoped she was up for it.

"Hey." Sara offered her co-worker a half-grin, both knowing how inconvenient these call-ins always were as single parents. They were left scrambling at the last minute to find a sitter, but luckily Sara had found a reliable one in Ms. Jennings. According to Sara, she was always happy to watch Cody, even at the last minute like tonight. Nick wondered if she'd still feel that way after having to watch his kid tonight, with the mood she was in.

Sara opened the screen door wide so Nick and Madeline could step inside from the slightly chilly fall air. As usual, Cody got shy all of a sudden, finding solace nudged up against his mother's side safely as he watched their two guests come inside. He chewed on his sweater sleeve as he observed the father and daughter. Cody knew who Nick was. He was a pretty nice guy that his mom worked with, and he always said hi whenever Cody was in the lab or when they occasionally bumped into each other at the supermarket. His daughter, Madeline, wasn't someone he knew too well, and based on the way she was scowling and moping around at the moment, didn't want to get to know her any better. She was a girl, and Cody didn't particularly like to play with girls. Especially ones that were better at sports than he was.

"Hey, Cody." Nick smiled at her coworker's son, but Cody could tell he wasn't in the best of moods either. He guessed there had been some sort of argument between the two. Cody knew he wouldn't want to go over to someone else's house to be babysat, especially if he was a big kid like Madeline was.

Sara rubbed Cody's shoulder, prompting him to say hello. "Hi, Nick." He greeted the man softly, staying by his mother's side. Cody wasn't sure what to think of Nick. He bet that when Nick was in school, he was one of the cool kids who was always well-liked, got picked first for kickball, and the girls had crushes on. Nick probably thought he was a dweeb, like everyone else did. He wondered what Nick really thought about him because he was probably only acting nice because he knew his mom. You had to at least pretend you liked your friends' kids, even if they were nerds who no one liked. Cody wished he wasn't such a geek so Nick didn't have to pretend to like him.

"How's school going?" Nick asked him as Madeline let her backpack rest on the floor.

"Okay." He kept his eyes pinned to his shoes, embarrassed by Nick's attention.

"Is spelling still your best subject?" Cody looked up, surprised that Nick had remembered this about him. Last time they'd run into Nick, it had somehow gotten out that Cody was a really great speller. No one ever asked him about that.

"Uh-huh." He managed a smile, feeling proud of himself. "I've gotten an A+ on every test so far."

Sara watched her son's face light up at the male attention he was getting from Nick. Little boys needed father figures, and Sara wondered how much different her son would be if he'd had a father around this whole time. Did Nick realize how much power he had, just by saying a few kind words to Cody? Sara hadn't seen that level of excitement in weeks from her young son, and Nick had managed to bring it right out just by mentioning spelling to him. It made Sara wonder if Cody would benefit by having someone like Nick in his life.

Nick's eyebrows shot up, impressed. "Wow. I was never that good of a speller when I was a kid. You'd have me beat."

Cody beamed with pride and realized he had somehow worked his way out from his mother's arms, and was standing independently next to her. "Cody, could you take Madeline's jacket and put it in the closet please?" Sara asked her son, always teaching him new manners as he got older. Cody nodded and took the light blue jacket from their gloomy looking guest. He smiled at her, but Maddie's facial expression didn't change. Obviously, she wasn't as polite as he was, and that made Cody feel even more proud of himself.

Nick smirked at the little boy as he watched Cody handle his daughter's coat with such care, obviously taking his job seriously. He remembered when Madeline was so eager to please, not that long ago. Any little task he gave her to do, she responded to positively, loving to feel helpful, already enjoying the satisfaction of a job well done. As she approached her teen years, it was disappearing quite a bit. When he reminded her to do her chores, he got a grumble.

"You ready to head out?" Sara asked her coworker, running her hand through Cody's hair as he returned to her side. Nick didn't get the chance to see Sara as a mother very often, and found the interactions between the two to be quite heart-warming. It was obvious that Cody adored his mother, and was well taken care of. She was doing a wonderful job as a single parent. Raising a little boy without a father around must be challenging, just like raising a girl without her mother. Nick guessed he and Sara were more alike than he realized at times. They were always too busy to even think about it, he supposed.

"Yeah." Nick nodded, turning to his twelve year old. He really wished that Madeline would behave herself while at Sara's. A little selfishly, he didn't want to look like a bad parent in front of Sara. He really was trying his best with Madeline, but that just didn't seem good enough any more.

"Madeline, you're welcome to get snacks from the cupboard if you want. Ms. Jennings has a rule about no television until homework's done." Sara told the girl. The sitter was currently in the kitchen, finishing up loading the dishwasher so Sara could get ready.

Madeline nodded but didn't say anything in response. That same rule existed at her own house, so she was used to it. Nick gently steered his daughter to stand in the opposite direction, touching her elbow, so they could have a little private conversation. Maddie squirmed her elbow away and then crossed her arms.

"I know you're not in the best of moods, but I expect you to behave for Ms. Jennings. She has my phone number and she'll use it if she has to. I'm really not going to be happy if I get a phone call. Am I understood?" His voice was low and calm, but still had an obvious warning tone to it. It was one thing to misbehave at home, and quite another to act up at school or someone else's house.

"Yeess." She sighed and acted as if his words were irritating her. "How long do I have to stay here?"

"I don't know. It's hard to tell how long these things will take." He told her honestly. Madeline knew after years of her father having to duck out all of a sudden, that no one knew what time he'd be home. That was one of the downfalls of having a parent in law enforcement.

"Fine." She whispered, and Nick could swear she sounded a bit sad. Nick wasn't sure if she would push him away, but he took the chance anyway. He pulled her smaller body towards his for a warm hug. Even though she'd done something incredibly foolish, he still loved her with all his heart and she needed to know that. Maddie loosely hugged her father back as he kissed the top of her head.

"I still love you, Mad." He murmured. "I always will, no matter what you do."

"I know." She whispered. He thought they were having a nice moment, when she abruptly pulled away. "See you later."

Nick craned his head to look at her, but she quickly turned away, picking up her backpack to take to the kitchen table. The two adults thanked Ms. Jennings, and left their two children under the care of the sitter. They both sighed when they walked outside, tired out by their children. And it was hard to know how long they'd be at work. Both deserved a good night's sleep.

"Did you have another rough evening with Madeline?" Sara asked as they climbed into Sara's Denali and buckled up. It was a pretty easy guess based on the pair's body language and general look of frustration.

"Yeah." He shook his head and put a bit of pressure on the bridge of his nose with his fingers, getting a slight headache. "If anyone understands pre-teen girls, more power to them."

Sara smirked as she began to back out of the driveway. She would never tell him that he was even more adorable when he was worked up about Madeline. It was endearing, really, how concerned he was about her, and how often he thought about her. "What happened this time?"

Nick let out a frustrated, but slightly amused groan; one that two single parents could both understand. "She hadn't eaten in over two days to get my attention, apparently. At gymnastics practice, she fainted on purpose. They called an ambulance and everything. I was not happy with her at all."

"Yea, I would be pretty upset too if Cody pulled something like that." Sara agreed, though this news got her very concerned about Madeline. Sometimes she just wanted to hug the kid and tell her everything was okay; that at least she had a wonderful father who loved her to pieces. But she also wanted to throttle her at times for giving her father such a hard time when he was doing his best. "Is she eating again?"

"Yeah. I made her green bean casserole. It just worries me, though. If she's gonna do something like this again, or worse. I know I haven't been giving her as much attention as she's used to, but you know I'm having to do twice the work now with Lauren gone."

Sara let out a sympathetic sigh as they rolled down the street and nodded. "Kids don't understand how hard it is to be a single parent. They're not sympathetic, they just want what all the other kids have."

"Yeah." Nick agreed, watching the trees go by outside the window. "I know she misses having two parents. And I really wish Lauren lived closer by, so Mad could at least see her more often."

"Well, she's got you." Sara pointed out, which was a big advantage in her book. Nick was one of the most amazing fathers she'd ever known, though by his own admission, he'd been slacking in the attention-giving department lately. He was completely devoted to Madeline, and it was easy to see how much he loved her in their interactions.

Nick turned to look at his coworker and smiled appreciatively. He sure wasn't used to getting compliments these days. There were only so many times he could listen to Madeline telling him he was a jerk before he started believing it himself. Nick knew as a single dad that Sara needed the same validation. They just needed to hear sometimes that they were appreciated. The two shared a smile; one of understanding and support. "And Cody's got you."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

About five hours later, well past midnight, Sara pulled into the driveway of her home with a bleak-eyed Nick Stokes in the seat next to her. Their call-in had lasted much longer than they would have liked. Grissom knew they were both single parents, but still they all knew being on-call was part of the job. Both parents just felt badly for their children, especially Nick, that they'd been gone all evening. Nick expected some scowling from his daughter since she hadn't been able to curl up in her own cozy bed as usual, and instead had to make-do with whatever was available at the Sidle residence.

Sara pushed her door open and the car dinged before she pulled the key out. It was cold for September in Las Vegas. The now much brisker air caused the pair to tense up, their bodies trying to further burrow themselves in the warm sweaters and coats that adorned them. They didn't say a word to each other, just audible shivers and teeth chattering as they approached the darkened house, only for a single lamp in the living room, presumably Ms. Jennings'.

"I can't believe it's only September and I'm about to freeze my nuts off." Nick commented as he waited for Sara to let them in. Sara just laughed a little, too cold to come up with a witty remark to match his.

Opening the screen door and putting the key in the lock, Sara felt warmed at how close Nick was to her. Both were eager to get inside, into the warmth, and his body had instinctively closed in on hers, seeking its heat. She could practically feel his breath on her neck as she jiggled the key around for a second before she successfully pushed the door open. Ms. Jennings startled awake, the last Mary Higgins Clark novel perched on top of her. Her reading glasses were still perched upon her nose, her feet up on the cushy ottoman. Sara knew she was going to owe Ms. Jennings a very generous amount for staying over this late.

"Sorry, Carla. It took longer than we thought." Sara lifted her workbag off her shoulder and let it drop to the floor gently as she unbuttoned her coat. Ms. Jennings stood up with an understanding nod and a smile.

"It's okay, Sara. The kids have been asleep for hours, and I was just catching up on some reading." Carla was always so understanding and sympathetic, even when she'd been inconvenienced by Sara's unpredictable work schedule.

"Are they?" Sara tried to work her shoulders and arms out of the coat, but her tensed arms were having trouble. The next moment, she felt Nick's hands assisting her, carefully working her coat down her arms. "Thanks, Nick."

"Madeline's in the guest bed. I let her borrow some pj bottoms and an old t-shirt of yours. I hope you don't mind."

"No, not at all." Sara assured her, self-consciously running her hand through her tangled brown hair.

"How was she?" Nick asked, unzipping his own coat to stay for a few minutes. Since Maddie was already asleep, he wasn't going to rush to get her home.

"She was just fine." Carla assured the father. Madeline had barely said a word all evening. She'd done her homework right away, and watched a couple TV shows along with her and Cody, then went to bed with no argument. "Perfect angel."

Nick almost snorted in amusement. Funny how she behaved better for strangers than for him. "Are you sure we're talkin' about the same kid?" He joked, though he was glad that Madeline had behaved for Ms. Jennings. His daughter was rarely a problem for others, only for him.

Sara and Ms. Jennings shared a few more words as she wrote a generous check for the evening. Soon, she had left to go back to her own home, leaving Sara and Nick alone, not even with the presence of their children. Sara cleared her throat and smiled at her coworker, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Sure, they'd hung out before, but it felt a bit odd this evening, with both their children under the same roof sleeping soundly upstairs. It was almost like they were a little family.

"So, uh, would you like to stay for some coffee?" Sara offered politely, and secretly wished that he would. Chatting with Nick was always something she enjoyed; looked forward to, even. He was great company to have, and when he was around, her problems always seemed a little less severe.

"Yeah, I'd love to." Nick answered quite quickly, surprising even himself. He admitted he missed adult interaction sometimes, spending most of his time with a twelve year old girl. It was nice to have someone like Sara to talk to; someone who understood his day-to-day struggles, and could make him smile. He really didn't think he could've gotten through the divorce and subsequent mess without her. "I'll go check on Madeline real quick though."

Sara nodded and she began to prepare two cups of coffee in the kitchen. Two sugars, no milk for Nick, she knew by heart. She deposited the ingredients into the two mugs as the water boiled on the stovetop. It was nice, having someone else to make coffee for. Not many people knew that beneath that front of being anti-marriage (or anti-stupid as she famously claimed), she secretly dreamed of finally finding someone to settle down with. It all happened backwards really, with Cody being born. She hadn't even been engaged, not even dating, the man that got her pregnant. And now, she was left trying to find a man who would not only love her, but would love her son as well. Whenever she managed a date with someone, usually as soon he found out she had a kid, it was like the date was over. No one was interested in dating a woman with a kid. Too much baggage in a town filled with shallow, fun-craving people.

Her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps on the stairs, and that sexy, tired sigh that only Nick Stokes knew how to let out just right. She smirked at him as he walked into the kitchen and came to stand with his back to the counter, right next to her by the stove. It felt strangely domestic, like a stance a married couple would take after another day of life. Sara pictured herself cooking tuna casserole or stirring a saucepan of rice as Nick talked to her about his day at work. It was a very Stepford-wife thought, but it was strangely nice.

"She's out like a rock." Nick looked relieved and more relaxed, knowing their time together wouldn't be interrupted. Though they were tired, both knew Nick didn't have to run. Both had been given the next day off, so any missed sleep tonight could be made up tomorrow.

"Well, good. It looked like she needed a good night's rest." Sara said honestly, not seeing how Madeline had the energy to go to school all day, work out for almost four hours after school, and then do homework in the evening. Plus, she hadn't been eating apparently, so her energy was definitely lacking.

"Yeah. I'm thinking about letting her sleep in tomorrow. Take her in for a half-day maybe. I need to feed her to make up for all those lost meals."

The kettle came to a boil as Sara nodded, so she quickly turned the knob to 'off' and lifted it off the stove. After pouring their cups and giving each a good stir, the two CSI's carefully worked their way into the living room for a relaxing drink and a talk. It was nice to not have to talk about forensics with each other. Sure, it was their job, but there were so many other things that Nick and Sara found themselves wanting to talk to each other about. They both had friends they could talk to, but lately, they'd been finding a special solace in each other. Sara let Nick take the corner seat next to the side table, and she sat next to him, on the middle seat, curling one of her legs up beneath her.

"I don't see how she has the energy, Nick. I mean, even if she's eating right. That amazes me."

Nick chuckled a little, thinking about his daughter. Except right now, he didn't really want to talk about Madeline or Cody. He found himself wanting to know more and more about Sara these days, and couldn't seem to get enough. Nick wanted to know more about her past, about what made her tick, and what she really did for fun besides listening to police radios. He wanted to know the real Sara.

"She's always been full of energy." Nick explained. "But enough about Maddie. Is it okay if we just talk about us?"

Their lives were always so focused on Madeline and Cody, hardly ever on themselves, or their own needs. It was high time, Nick figured, for them to push their parental worries aside and just get to know each other more as individuals. Nick always felt like he was just thought of as Madeline's father, or a CSI, never just Nick Stokes. He wanted to share himself with someone else, and have her share back. And there was no one else he'd rather share with than Sara Sidle.

Sara opened her mouth and closed it again. She knew, when he said 'us', that he just meant them as friends, or 'us' meaning adults and not children. However, she felt her heart skip a beat hearing him refer to them as being together somehow. Sara felt like such a teenage girl, getting hung up on such semantics. Could it be possible that she had a little crush on Nick Stokes? Surely, it was just because he'd been confiding in her more since his divorce. Right? Whatever the case, it was nice that someone wanted to focus on her. It was nice to talk about their kids together, but being a mother wasn't her only role. She was female, human, and had her own needs to be met.

Sara didn't think she could feel as comfortable, but somehow excited, as she could in that moment unless she was actually wrapped up in his arms. "I'd love to."


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thanks for reviewing! Please keep them coming. : )_

The scene and the company were familiar, but Sara couldn't shake the feeling that something was different. How many times had Nick come in for coffee, and how many more times had they hung out just like this in her living room? Too many to count was the answer, but how many other times had Sara felt her heart flutter when Nick laughed at her jokes and wanted to touch his face as he held her in his arms? That would be none. Why the hell was she thinking about these things now, when they'd been friends for so many years. I mean, if there was something special between them, it should've already happened. You know, maybe sometime over the past eight years she'd known him.

"Believe me, I wanted to punch Ecklie in the face a few times myself." Nick admitted, their coffee now long finished, the remnants resting in their matching mugs on the coffee table. Their positions had moved slightly for comfort reasons. Nick had propped his feet up on the coffee table, and Sara's arm was resting comfortably on the back of the couch, her upper body turned towards her best friend. She realized how close Nick's hand was to her knee. Just one movement of that warm hand, and he'd be encompassing it, perhaps gently stroking her leg with his thumb mindlessly. And she wouldn't stop him.

"Well, I've learned to restrain myself more." Sara admitted, sticking her tongue in her cheek at the memory of her suspension for being insubordinate. They'd gotten back on the subject of work, something that often came up naturally in their conversation. Both loved their work, so the topic often came up when they spoke. "I want to keep my job."

Nick smirked and nodded, wagging his foot around a little on the coffee table, his eyes pinned to the same spot. There was a comfortable silence between them for a few moments, before Nick turned the conversation somewhere Sara hadn't expected.

"So, uh, if you don't mind me asking. Where is Cody's father?" Nick had known Sara for years, and he'd never really found out about the boy's father. He was never mentioned, and it was easy to guess it hadn't been an amicable ending to whatever relationship they'd had. Nick wondered if she'd ever talked about it much to anyone, and thought that maybe she wanted to someone to talk to about it.

Sara sensed her face reddening as she felt Nick's eyes on her, not budging. Did he know how hard it was for someone not to be totally honest with him when he looked at you like that? She stole a glance at those pools of brown – so understanding, non-threatening, and warm. It made her want to spill all her secrets to him, but doing that was what got her in trouble in her relationships. The men she had dated before didn't want to hear about all her baggage, about how her father had been murdered in front of her eyes by her own mother, about her struggles as a single mom. No, they'd just wanted sex. Wait, why the hell was she comparing Nick to other men she'd dated? Sara cleared her throat and rubbed her forehead to clear that thought away. That wasn't allowed.

"I don't know where he is." Sara told him simply, picking up her mug from the coffee table uncomfortably. She touched the mug to her lips and tilted it back to take a sip, but the liquid was long gone, and they both knew it. Nick bit his lip to keep from smirking at her obvious attempt to cover up some embarrassment, or perhaps nervousness. She faked it well, though, letting the mug tilt for a few seconds before setting it back down on the table.

"Well, when was the last time you heard from him? Don't you get child support?" Nick continued. She hadn't stopped him from continuing. Sara knew he'd stop if she really wanted him too, but somehow she felt safe sharing these few bits of information with him. She didn't want to shut him down, not just yet. Maybe it was time she shared the mystery of Cody's father with someone.

Sara shook her head and sighed. "I don't tell anyone about Cody's father. It's not something I'm proud of." She admitted, tucking her hands between her thighs as she stared elsewhere, anywhere but at Nick. If she was going to spill this, she didn't want to see that look of pity on Nick's face.

Nick wasn't sure whether to keep asking questions, but it seemed like she was ready and needed to continue with the story. He knew Sara, and was pretty sure she'd just change the subject if she really didn't want to talk about this. "Well, I'm all ears if you wanna talk about it."

Her mouth gave a half-smirk and she nodded, unsure if she was ready to take this plunge. Would he think differently of her if he knew? Would he treat her like she was broken, which was something she absolutely despised. Above all, Sara didn't want to be treated like a victim, because that's not the way she carried herself. Victims let bad things take over their lives, and she certainly hadn't done that.

"I don't even know his name." Sara began, forcing herself to keep a strong, unwavering voice. "I still remember his face, though."

Nick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he didn't interrupt, and let Sara tell her story.

"I never had a relationship with Cody's father." She paused and swallowed, her mouth feeling suddenly dry. "I was raped."

"Oh my God, Sara." Nick whispered sympathetically, but somehow when he said it, Sara didn't feel like a victim. "How'd this happen?"

"It was when I lived in San Francisco. Just walking my dog one evening. I though I lived in a safe neighborhood, but apparently not." She studied her fingernails, trying to tell Nick without having to remember all the awful details. Being controlled by someone else was the most difficult thing – to not have any say in what was happening to her. Since then, being intimate with someone was like sheer torture – it took her back to that horrible time and place.

"I'm sorry, Sara. No one deserves to have that happen to them." He placed his hand on her knee and patted it gently. It was a touch she'd craved moments before, but this was a different kind. Not one of affection, but of support, and it was just what she needed.

"I know. It's just…I've tried hard to get over it and move on, but every time Cody wants to know about his father, it takes me back." She admitted, struggling not to cry. "I feel angry at my own child for asking about his father."

This was what Sara felt the most guilty about. Of course Cody was naturally curious about who his father was. Most of the other kids at school had a dad. If not a full-time dad, one that they at least got to see every once in a while. Cody had no way of knowing that asking about his father upset his mom so much. At age seven, he didn't need to know. Sara fought hard to protect her only child from the dangerous world she encountered every day at work. He was young and innocent, and Sara wanted him to stay that way as long as possible.

"Sara, it's okay to have those feelings. Of course it hurts to be reminded of what happened to you. No one wants to relive those memories." Nick's tone was empathetic and kind. She knew he wouldn't be judgmental or ask her why she hadn't told anyone yet. He'd dealt with victims enough to know that they just wanted the pain to go away. Talking about it helped some, but it was also like reliving your worst nightmare over and over again each time you explained it.

His warm hand gently moved back and forth on her pants leg, hoping to offer some degree of comfort to his friend. Rapists were some of the worst scum on the earth, and it killed Nick inside to know that his Sara had been through it and had been dealing with it alone.

"Have you talked to anyone about this before?" He gently probed, his eyes staying on her face. Sara hadn't been able to stop the tears from coming, so he snabbed a couple tissues from the end table and handed them to her.

Sara wiped at her under eyes with the tissues and nodded. "I went to therapy for a while, but it didn't really help. One of my good girlfriends knows, but no one else. I don't want them to know."

Nick nodded in understanding. He could ask more questions about how she'd explained her pregnancy to her family and friends, but could tell that Sara sharing all this with him was emotional enough. It must've been hard to share all this with him, and he wasn't about to ruin it by asking too many questions. Obviously, she needed someone to confide in, and he was more than happy to be that person. He reached over and took one of her hands between both of his.

"I know this was hard, but I'm glad you told me." Nick whispered, looking her in the eye. Now he felt an urge to be protective of his friend even more so. He was one of only a few people in her life that knew about her rape, and so he was the only one who could help her with it.

Sara nodded and looked him back in the eye, but soon the image of his caring face became faded with tears. She felt his arms go around her, surrounding her with a warm, supportive hug. It felt nice to feel safe again, and for the first time in a while, she allowed herself to cry into his shoulder. Nick pressed a loving kiss to her forehead as he rubbed circles on her back, hoping she knew that he'd always be there for her.

About half an hour and many hugs later, Nick decided it was time for him to head out. Both had been yawning and though Maddie was asleep upstairs, she needed to be at home in her own bed. Nick scooped his growing daughter up in his arms and carried her out to the car, Sara holding the doors open for him. Once she was safely laid down in the middle row of seats, Nick met Sara next to the driver's side door.

"Well, thanks for listening." Sara told him, slightly embarrassed that she'd broken down on him and had gotten his shirt collar quite wet from crying.

"Anytime." Nick assured her, giving her arm a supportive squeeze. "I'm always here to listen. Whenever you need to talk, just call me."

Sara nodded and offered a small smile, then Nick leaned in to kiss her forehead. His lips lingered, and she thought she heard him take a little sniff of her hair. It had been a long time since someone had kissed her so tenderly and made her feel so loved and taken care over.

Nick climbed into his truck and started up the ignition. As he put the car in reverse, he looked at Sara and gave her a little wink. Sara waved and watched the truck disappear into the darkness, the sound of the engine slowly fading as he drove into the distance. What she really wanted was to be wrapped up in those arms of his once again. She hadn't remembered a time when she felt so completely safe.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Nick had the day off, so he was able to take Madeline to gymnastics practice and watch her. He bought her a Subway sandwich to eat on the way over to make sure she was well-fed before exerting so much energy. Today, she was pretty quiet, even at practice amongst her friends. Though she wouldn't admit it out loud, Nick was pretty sure she liked that he was coming to more of her practices lately. And he really did love watching her, it was just that there weren't enough hours in the day.

Later, when they arrived home after practice, Nick began to get the ingredients together for some beef enchiladas. Madeline took a seat on the couch, and Nick just assumed she was starting some homework. However, after he'd put the enchiladas in the oven to bake, he found his daughter looking through an old photo album quietly by herself. The look on her face was serene. Obviously she was fond of the pictures she was looking at.

"Whatcha got there?" He asked as he walked over to where she sat, her legs tucked up underneath her as she turned a page.

"My baby pictures."

Nick sat down next to her and looked down at the pictures. There was one of Lauren in the hospital, holding her newborn baby girl, and Nick smiling on proudly next to her. That was the best day, and the proudest day of his life, becoming a father. He and Lauren had been thrilled, and it showed in the way their faces were lit up. Meeting the little wonder that was their new daughter had brought the couple closer together. However, now that they were divorced, Nick wondered if there was ever true love between them. After all, they'd only married because Lauren was pregnant. Of course Nick cared for Lauren deeply. They'd been married for eleven years, but it had all really been lust. After a couple years of marriage, the excitement soon fizzled out, and they were soon just two people living together trying to raise a daughter.

Madeline flipped to the next page, her eyes twinkling at the images of herself as a baby. Madeline nursing. Madeline's first bath. Madeline's first Christmas. All the pictures had been labeled religiously by Lauren. Nick smirked at a picture Lauren had taken of him holding Maddie in his lap, and she was reaching for his nose. Both laughed at a picture of them both asleep in the recliner, Maddie curled up on his chest.

"You were always my shadow when you were little." He smirked and gave her a kiss on the head. Nick missed the days sometimes when he was hero, just for being her dad. She used to adore him, run to him when he came home from work, and beg for him to play Barbies with her. At the time, he hadn't liked playing Barbies with her that much, but now he would gladly be invited to do anything with his Madeline.

"What was my first word again, Dad?" She asked as they came across a picture of him and Lauren curled up on a bed, reading her a story.

Nick snickered. "Not Momma. Not Dada. Cat." He told her. Maddie giggled, always loving to hear about her first word. Apparently, she'd adored the family cat, Eggo, so much that cat had been her first word.

The father and daughter had a great, bonding few minutes together looking through the rest of her baby album, ending when she'd reached her toddler years. There was another album for that. They had practically an encyclopedia-sized collection of albums, mostly starring Madeline. As the pair looked through the pictures, Nick's thoughts couldn't help but wander back to Sara and what she'd revealed to him last night. Madeline had been born and brought up and such a loving environment, with two doting parents up until now. Cody had been born out of violence. Nick admired Sara so much for pushing all her hurt aside to raise her son. It must hurt too, that every time she looked into her son's face, she must see the face of her rapist in there somewhere. While certain features definitely resembled Sara, half of Cody's genes did come from that bastard. However, Cody was a delightful little boy, full of love, intelligent, and kind. The fact that Cody was growing up so well-adjust was really a testament to what a strong person Sara was. But, God, how hard it must be for Sara to look at Cody every day and be reminded of her rape. To not be able to look at her own child without some level of memory about a horrible experience. Sara was amazing to him in this capacity, among others, and he admired her.

"Daddy, do you think Mom will ever come back?" Madeline had since closed the photo album, clutching it in her arms close to her heart.

Well, if he knew how, he would sure be trying. Nick didn't know why Lauren had just suddenly decided she'd had enough of her life with them. The divorce was the first step, but moving across the country had been completely unexpected. It hurt him that she apparently wanted to start a new life, without him and with Madeline, so far away, but knew it must be hurting their daughter ten times as worse. Sometimes he forgot, amidst all her mouthy comebacks and disobedience, that she was hurting so much; that she'd basically lost her mother. While this didn't excuse how she acted, it was an explanation.

"I don't know, baby. Your mom just decided she needed to get away for a while. We can't force her to come back if she doesn't want to." He told her honestly. Madeline was way too smart to be given half-ass answers. She deserved to know what was going on, at least to some extent. Maddie sighed and rested her head against her father's shoulder.

"What kind of mother leaves her kid?"

Nick sure as hell could go into a rant about how screwed up Lauren's choices were. It disgusted him that she sometimes didn't return Madeline's calls, and that she hadn't visited in months. But that's not what his daughter needed to hear.

"Well, sometimes people go through phases. I think your Mom's going through a stage where she wants her independence. Maybe she wants to feel young again. It's not fair to you, but unfortunately that's the way it is right now." He idly stroked her ponytail, and while they were talking about a sad, solemn topic, he was kind of enjoying that Madeline was curled up next to his side, spending time with him.

"Do you hate Mom?"

Nick breathed in before answering. Sometimes he thought he did, but deep down, he didn't. They'd been in love at some point, and once you've loved someone, it's hard to conjure up feelings of hate. "No. I don't like the way she's acting right now, but I don't hate her. How about you?"

Madeline sighed heavily and hugged the album a bit tighter. "Sometimes. It's weird. I'm mad at her the most when I wish she was here with me."

"That's okay. I bet it hurts that when you feel you need her the most, she's not here. It's okay to be mad about that." He assured her. Nick was relieved that she was actually opening up to him a little bit. She rarely talked about her feelings about the divorce and her mother leaving. Nick suspected that she didn't like to because it upset her so much. But like with Sara, it helped to let her feelings out.

"Do you like Sara?" Maddie asked out of the blue.

Nick looked down at his daughter, a bit confused.

"Well, yes. She's a very good friend. Why do you ask?"

Madeline shrugged and set the album down on the coffee table, then snuggled up closer to her dad. She'd seen the way he looked at her when he dropped her off yesterday. There was a twinkle in his eye, like he used to look at her mom when they were in love. Plus, her dad didn't act quite the same around other women. It was like he was being careful about how he acted and what he said around Sara all of a sudden. He'd never cared before.

When Madeline didn't answer his question, Nick decided not to push it. She was curled up against him now, her eyes closed, so he just kissed her head and pulled her a little closer. It was rare he got to cuddle much with Madeline anymore, so he'd enjoy it while he could get it.

As he held his daughter, his mind kept returning to her question. _Do you like Sara? _Yes. Probably more than he should right now. Nick knew he was just getting over his divorce. He was confused, and frankly, still a bit heartbroken. He wasn't in a place to be thinking about his feelings towards other women. No way was he ready for another relationship, and Madeline certainly wasn't equipped to handle him even dating new people. But was he just supposed to suppress these new feelings he was having? And with all that Sara had revealed to him last night, was he just supposed to go on and act like everything was fine? Nick felt that she'd told him all this for a reason. Maybe she needed his help. What kind of friend would he be to just turn his back on her, when she'd just spilled obviously distressing feelings with him? Nick sure didn't know the answer.

Nick looked down at his now dozing daughter, with her trademark frown on her face. She'd always frowned when she was sleeping. Though he knew his feelings towards Sara were changing, all he knew was that right now, Madeline needed to be his priority.


	10. Chapter 10

Since Sara was one of his best friends, Nick felt it was his responsibility to throw her at least some sort of a birthday bash on September 16th. He'd already suggested a few weeks ago that their two little families get together for a barbeque, so that became the plan. Nick would buy the hot dogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers, and Sara promised to bring some salads and side items. Luckily, her birthday fell on a Friday this year, and they were both freed up from work. On Friday evening at about six, Nick was finishing up the final touches on his preparations in the kitchen. The trash can had filled up fast, so he had just taken the bag out and twisty tied it.

"Madeline!" He called to his daughter, who had just finished picking up the living room. One great thing about her being grounded was that he got to give her extra chores, which he was taking full advantage of this evening, much to his daughter's displeasure.

Madeline grumbled from where she was painting her toenails in the living room. "What now?"

"I've got some trash that needs to be taken out." He told her, washing his hands at the sink since he was about to handle some more food. Nick also had one of his best dress shirts on, a nice white and blue striped one paired with some faded jeans, and didn't want to mess it up by taking out the trash.

"Then why don't you take it out?" Maddie suggested logically.

"Because for this month, you're my indentured servant." He joked a little, but basically she was.

The twelve year old rolled her eyes and got up, walking with her toes curled up so as not to get polish on the floor. She walked to the kitchen and picked up the full trash bag, giving her father an evil glare.

"Why do we have to have the Nerdstons over?" She complained. Sara and Cody weren't exactly the most exciting people to hang out with. Maddie bet that Cody liked to put his boogers under a microscope and spent his days studying dust bunnies.

Nick smirked a little, but bit his lip. "Because Sara's my friend and it's her birthday. Besides, I thought it would be nice to have a little get together anyway."

"_You_ thought." She grumbled, not at all pleased that she had to spend her Friday night with the Sidles. Not that she'd be allowed to go anywhere anyway, but Madeline would rather just be up in her room reading. She definitely didn't want to hang around and watch her father flirting with another woman.

"Be nice." He warned her, raising his eyebrows, but he was in too good of a mood to be annoyed with her. Truth be told, Nick had been looking forward to the barbeque all week. Getting Sara Sidle away from work was a treat for him. She was such a different person away from all the forensics and crime they dealt with every day. Sara was lighter, more at ease, more loveable, when they hung out. It was definitely a Sara Sidle he would like to get to know more.

Maddie put down the trash bag momentarily and wrapped her arms around her father from the side as he sprinkled some spices onto the burgers on the counter. "Daddy, can I pleeeaaase have a friend over? I promise promise we'll be perfectly well behaved, and we won't make fun of Cody."

She'd already asked him once that evening and he'd turned her down. Nick didn't even know why she tried, because he almost virtually never gave in.

"I already told you the answer's no." Nick reminded her calmly, but firmly. "You're still grounded, and even if you weren't I wouldn't let you. This is just a little get-together. Sara's family and mine."

"Then why didn't you invite Mom?"

Nick stopped what he was doing and looked down at his daughter, still hugging him. He would hug her, but then he'd get spices and burger grime all over her shirt. Madeline would go days without speaking of her mother, and out of the blue she'd say something like that to remind him how hard this was on her. Sometimes, he thought she said things like that just to make him feel guilty. "She's in New York. She's not gonna fly in just for a barbeque."

Maddie was hoping she'd get him to admit that he didn't want her mom there because he wanted to mack on Sara. It was ridiculous, honestly, the way he flirted with her over the phone. He was worse than some of the kids at her school. Madeline could always tell when she called, or when he called her, because his voice changed a little. It took on a caring, almost gentle tone, like the one he used to use with her Mom, only to a new extreme. Her dad liked Sara. It was obvious. But Maddie really thought he should be careful, because if her mother knew, she'd never take him back. She couldn't understand why her parents couldn't just work things out. Maddie figured it would only take time before they realized how stupid they were being and got back together. Her mother would realize how idiotic she was acting, and her father would finally get it through his head not to pick fights with her so much.

"And you want to flirt with Sara." Maddie told him bravely. Nick could have gotten a bit offended, but he decided to take it with a grain of salt. He gave her a look and then wrapped one of his arms around her neck and started giving her a noogie.

"You think I flirt with Sara? Huh?"

"You dooo!" She laughed, struggling to get free from his grasp. "And the other day when you were napping on the couch, you said her name in your sleep!"

Nick felt his face turn a certain shade of red. God, he hoped he hadn't. It was true that he had a crush on Sara, but he didn't want it out in the open. Was he being that obvious that his twelve year old daughter had picked up on it? Pre-teen girls were always gossiping about who liked who. He overheard it a lot when Maddie was on the phone with her friends.

"You're a liar, you little booger." He accused her, releasing her from the hold he had around her neck.

Maddie composed herself, fixing her mussed up hair as she grabbed that trash bag once again. "You wish. You were like 'Ohh Sara! I want to kiss you so baad!'"

She giggled and yelped when he picked up a tea towel and whipped it at her, dodging it just barely. "I need to lock you in your room. Go take the trash out."

Nick shook his head as his daughter left to do her task. He had wondered what it would like to kiss Sara Sidle many times. Those lips of hers. When she pursed them together when she was annoyed, they looked so enticing. For years, he'd wondered how they'd taste, and how they'd feel beneath his; how soft her skin was. Heck, he'd imagined much more that that to be frank, but he didn't need to be thinking about that when she was about to come over. Then he'd probably stare at her lips all night and picture her naked.

He wanted to ask Madeline about how she felt about Sara. Nick knew she thought Sara was nerdy, but she was so much more than that. As a father, Nick intended to always put Maddie's feelings and needs first. He would never date a woman she really didn't like, or a woman who couldn't accept that his daughter came first. Sara seemed to understand that as a single parent herself. They understood each other, very much in the same boat. However, Nick knew Madeline well, and was aware that she was as stubborn and one-minded as her mother. Once she'd made up her mind about someone, it was hard to sway her opinion. She'd always liked Sara, but he sensed, even though she was joking about it, that she didn't like the idea of him liking another woman. It was too soon. Lauren had only been gone a few months.

When the doorbell rang about ten minutes later, Nick reminded Madeline to be on her best behavior, which she rolled her eyes at. She reminded her father she wasn't going to babysit Cody and if he started picking his nose, she was gone.

Nick opened the door to a smiling Sara and an excited-looking Cody. He loved being around Nick, and was tickled that he'd be spending the evening around him.

"Hey!" Nick grinned widely, taking in the sight of Sara in a form-fitting pair of jeans, and a light blue tank top paired with a dark blue jacket. As she walked in, Nick caught a whiff of her hair and didn't think he'd be able to stop himself from sticking his nose there. There were children present, though, so he managed to restrain himself. Nick doubted he'd stay on Cody's good side if he saw him sniffing his mother's hair randomly. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She smiled as they walked in to the living room, where Madeline was sitting on the couch. "I've been having a great day. Cody got me this jacket and made me a beautiful card."

"Wow, that sounds nice. Your jacket looks great. You must have good taste, my man." Nick ruffled Cody's hair a little, and he beamed at the praise.

"My babysitter helped me pick it out."

"Well, you made a very good choice. Come on in and sit down." He held his arm out, motioning for the two Sidles to sit on the couch. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Cody looked at his mother, as if he needed permission to request a drink. She raised her eyebrows at him, prompting him to speak up. "May I please have some apple juice, and if you don't have that, can I have some water?"

Nick smirked at the kid. He was so polite and timid it was adorable.

"We have both. I'll get you a glass of apple juice." He assured the boy. "Sara, would you like some wine?"

"That would be great."

Nick thought he sounded entirely too formal, but he was just trying to be polite. The truth was, he was nervous. It had been a long time since he'd felt nervous around a woman. He'd known Sara for years, but he found himself wanting to impress her and a desperate need to make her laugh. They made small talk for about ten minutes, each politely asking the other's child about their activities and school. Nick was pleased that Madeline answered Sara politely, telling her about her gymnastic endeavors and her favorite subjects at school. After a few minutes, Nick excused himself to go start the burgers and hot dogs on the grill. He suggested to Madeline to get out Sorry to keep their guests occupied.

Sara played one game with the kids, and since they seemed to be getting along decently, she excused herself to go help Nick with the preparations. It was slightly chilly outside, so Nick had put on a fleece pullover to barbeque in the backyard. Sara still had her jacket on since it was part of her outfit, so she stepped out into the fall air. She didn't miss the way Nick seemed to beam that she'd joined him.

"Hey. How's it going in there?" His fondness of the female standing right next to him was obvious. Sara blushed at the way his full attention seemed to be on her, and his visible delight that she'd joined him.

"Pretty well." She nodded and watched him flip one of the veggie burgers over. It was so sweet that he'd bought them especially for her. No one had ever cared that much to do something like that for her. It was small, but it was a big deal to Sara. "The kids are playing another game of Sorry."

"That's good." Very good, in fact, that Madeline was being nice to their guests.

"Cody was really excited about coming over tonight. He just loves you." Sara admitted. She'd never seen her son act the way he did when Nick was around. It seemed like he opened up and let his true personality show its head around Nick. He brought out Cody's best side, and the kid exuded a confidence she didn't often see.

"Well, he's a neat little boy." Nick had never met a kid more polite than Cody, and while that was in good in some ways, it seemed to him that Cody didn't really know how to let loose and have fun. Not that it was Sara's fault. Not at all. It's just that the kid was naturally so timid, and it would take some work and time to get him out of his shell.

"Thanks." She told him, and glanced down at the burgers. "Nick, one of the burgers is on fire."

Nick guessed he'd been paying too much attention to Sara's eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he batted the enflamed veggie burger onto the lawn and stomped on it with his foot. "Jesus!" He exclaimed, feeling rather idiotic and embarrassed for letting a veggie burger catch flame when he'd been standing right there. "I don't know how that happened."

Sara was already laughing, and it only took a few moments for Nick to join in after he'd wiped his shoe off on the grass. "No veggie burger for me, I guess." She smirked at him, and was amazed at how totally at ease she felt around Nick.

"I'm so sorry, Sara. I've got some more in the freezer." He remembered. He'd stashed the extras from the packet he'd bought in the freezer, just in case Sara happened to come over on another occasion.

"I'll supervise and make sure nothing else gets cremated." She assured him. Nick laughed and opened the sliding door to head into the kitchen. Oddly, he found Cody sitting alone on the couch, staring blankly at the game board.

"Hey Code-man. Where'd Maddie go?"

"She's on the phone." He reported, his voice sounding a bit disappointed that he was in there all alone.

"Oh. Well, you can come join us out in the yard. We still have a swing set out there you can play on." Nick opened the freezer to retrieve the veggie burgers, which hadn't really had time to be properly frozen. They should be okay to put on the barbeque. Cody seemed satisfied by this answer. He nodded and stood up, waiting for Nick to tell him what to do. "Why don't you go ahead outside and I'll see what Madeline's up to."

Cody complied as Nick climbed the stairs to find out what his daughter was doing. Her bedroom door was closed, so he knocked and then opened the door. Maddie was reclined on her bed, the telephone sitting between her ear and shoulder, engrossed in a conversation. He stepped in and crossed his arms, hoping to send the signal that she needed to wrap up her phone call.

"Hold on, Momma." He heard her say, and then she moved the receiver away from her ear. "Dad, it's Mom on the phone. Can't I stay up here and talk for a while?"

Lauren on the phone was definitely different than if Maddie had been up here talking to one of her friends. Unfortunately, Maddie didn't get to talk to her mother as often as she'd like, so conversations on the phone was something she looked forward to especially.

"Sure, baby. Don't be too long, though. Dinner will be ready soon and we've got company."

Madeline nodded and went back to her conversation with her mother. She'd called out of the blue, and Madeline had been elated. Most of the time, it seemed that Madeline had to chase her down to be able to talk to her. It was quite special that Lauren had actually contacted her first. They'd been talking about all sorts of things – friends, boys, school, everything. As her mother wrapped up the phone call about ten minutes later, it made Madeline miss her even more. She wanted so badly to have her mother right there with her, sitting next to her on the bed as they chatted about girl things. Her mother may have painted her nails or braided her hair. But now, there was none of that.

They hung up, but Madeline just laid on her bed alone for a little while. She knew her mother wasn't perfect, but she didn't understand why her father couldn't see past that. Madeline wasn't perfect, and he still loved her. Why was it so hard for him to love her mother? Sometimes she just wanted to slap both her parents across the face and tell them what idiots they were being. Why weren't they trying harder? Why had they given up?

A few minutes later, Madeline heard her father call her name from downstairs. Presumably, dinner was ready, though she didn't have much of an appetite anymore. She certainly wasn't in the mood now to sit down and have dinner with Sara and her geeky son like they were a little family. If her father wasn't with her mother, Madeline was starting to think he didn't belong with anyone. She trudged down the stairs, wishing the evening was over already, but as she approached the dining room, Madeline found that Cody was sitting in the seat she always sat in. Little jerk. Hadn't her father told him that was _her_ seat?

"Excuse me, but you're in my seat." Maddie informed the boy. Cody looked embarrassed, not sure what to say. He just picked up his glass and was about to switch seats when Nick put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze, as he brought some tomatoes to the table.

"Sweetheart, it's just one meal. It's not a big deal." He told Madeline, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to claim her turf, which was completely unnecessary because Cody was just over for the evening.

Maddie glared at her father and pulled out another chair loudly, plopping herself down. Cody sat back down also, afraid that he had ticked Madeline off. He'd never met a girl with such mood swings. Soon, all four of them were seated at the table, putting all the fixings on their respective burgers and hot dogs. Not knowing any better, Maddie grabbed a veggie burger and put it on her plate.

"Baby, you might not like that. It's a veggie burger." Nick told her, not thinking his daughter would like it very much. She was a carnivore, like he was. He had to chuckle at how she scrunched up her face, disgusted with the idea. She stabbed it with her fork and plopped it back onto the serving plate in the middle of the table.

"I'll have that one." Sara smiled, transferring the burger to her own plate.

Maddie may no attempt to be friendly throughout the meal. Any questions asked of her were answered with one word and no eye contact. Nick wasn't sure why her mood had taken such a downturn. Well, he had some idea. It wouldn't surprise him if Lauren had sad something to upset her. Half the time when they spoke, Madeline was in a worse mood afterwards.

"Maybe after dinner we could play another board game." Nick suggested, knowing Cody like quiet games. He seemed to perk up at the suggestion, but when Nick looked at Maddie for approval, she looked sullen and uninterested. "What do you think, Madeline?"

"I'd rather not." She told him honestly. She'd had quite enough of having to watch them stare at each other and try to cover it up. They were obviously into each other, and it disgusted Madeline now. Didn't he know that if her mother found out he was already flirting with other women that she'd never come back?

"Well, I think our guests would enjoy it."

Madeline stopped herself from rolling her eyes just in time. However, her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. "Well, I'd rather not spend the whole evening hanging out with geeks."

Sara and Nick's mouths both gaped open at her comment. Sara cleared her throat and pushed some of her beans around on her plate mindlessly, wondering how Nick was going to handle that one.

"Go to your room." Nick told her calmly and simply. Sara saw the look on his face, and wanted to crawl under the table to hide, and it wasn't even directed at her. Madeline just smiled at her father, which ticked him off even more. Going to her room had been exactly what she wanted, even though she knew she was in trouble. It would save her from having to watch her father and Sara flirt with each other. She wiped her napkin and stood up, then walked up the stairs, feeling like she had one. Surely, her father would get the message that she didn't like him flirting with Sara, and wasn't okay with them acting like they were all a little family.

Nick shook his head as he worked some beans onto his own fork after Madeline had left. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's gotten into her."

"It's okay. I know you've both been having a hard time." Sara offered, though Madeline's words had hurt. She'd known Madeline most of her young life, and they'd always gotten along well. Sara felt a bit guilty for having feelings for Nick, and Madeline voicing her opinion like that certainly hadn't made her feel any better.

"Yeah, but that's no excuse." He shook his head and took a sip of his water. "I'll let her cool down, then I need to go have a word with her." A few very stern words, that is. Nick was highly embarrassed and disappointed that Madeline would say something so mean to someone he cared about. He realized that she was still hurting over Lauren leaving, but he didn't think Madeline would have that kind of reaction to Sara. Maddie had known Sara pretty much all her life, and she'd never voiced any kind of dislike for his coworker.

The rest of dinner was a bit subdued because of Madeline's insult and departure. It was a bit uncomfortable for Sara and Cody, knowing Nick was likely highly embarrassed and was probably going to tear Maddie a new one. Sara knew how strict he was with Madeline, and this was a major offense in his book.

After the meal was finished, Nick and Sara began to clear up the dishes from the table and take them into the kitchen. Before he did this, Nick set Cody up at the TV, finding the Disney Channel to keep him occupied for a few minutes. He came back into the kitchen, finding Sara at the sink rinsing the dishes off, one side of her hip slightly slouched as she concentrated on the task at hand. It seemed so…domestic again. Them together, doing the dishes, while Cody watched television and Madeline….well, Madeline banished to her room. There was just something sexy about Sara standing in his kitchen, helping with the dishes.

He walked up next to her, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze and a small smile. "You don't have to do this." Nick told her politely.

"No, it's okay. I want to." Sara told him honestly. "You had us over, it's the least I could do."

He smirked as he took the rinsed off plate from her hand and transferred it to the dishwasher. "Well, it is nice to have a partner. A dishwashing partner, I mean." Nick quickly cleared up, not wanting her to think that he was somehow implying something else. Sara just smiled at him and they continued with their unspoken assembly line.

"It's probably best if we leave soon, since I'm sure you want to go have a word…"

"No, don't leave." Nick urged her. "She's fine up there, thinking about what she's done. Don't let her ruin your evening. I have all weekend to yell at her."

Sara chuckled a little bit as they continued. "Well, it might be nice to play a board game together or two." She admitted.

"I'd like that too."

Forty-five minutes later, they had finished their second game of Sorry, and had moved on to playing Uno. Cody was having the time of his life, smiling and joking around with Nick and his mother. He was secretly glad that Madeline wasn't around, because she made him nervous. And now that she'd called him a geek, he had good reason to want to stay away from her. Nick had poured Sara and himself a glass of wine, which had slowly dwindled away into an empty glass by the end of their last Uno hand.

"You beat me again, Code-man." Nick had given him the new nickname, and Cody thought it was really cool. He liked that Nick had a special nickname just for him.

"Uno's one of my favorite games. I always get Draw Fours."

"Yes you do." He smiled. "Sara, would you like another glass of wine?"

"Yes, please." She handed him her glass of wine as Cody began shuffling the cards. Well, his method of shuffling consisted of spreading the cards out all over the table and moving them around the mix them up. It always took a while, so Sara decided to join Nick in the kitchen. She was feeling a bit confident after one glass of wine, so she walked up to him and squeezed his arm a little, giggling.

"Did you just let my son win Uno three straight times in a row?" She theorized. Sara had noticed how he was quick to stick his pile of leftover cards in the stack after Cody was declared the winner each time. It was so sweet that he understood how much pleasure Cody got out of winning a simple card game. Nick was just that much more irresistible.

He grinned his thousand-watt smile, parentheses forming around his mouth. "I'm not admitting to that. I know better. Not without my lawyer." Nick teased as he poured them both another glass of Chardonnay. She gave him a little playful push, feeling like she was suddenly back in high school.

"Oh really? Well is there any way I can get you to admit to it without legal counsel?" She flirted. Had that really just come out of her mouth? When she'd developed this much boldness, Sara had no clue.

Nick looked at his partner with an amused grin on his face, trying to hide the fact his heart had just doubled its rate at her implication. He turned his body to face hers, willing to see where she would go with this. Out of the blue, a pair of their hands clasped together, and Sara felt his thumb stroking the back of her hand.

"I don't know." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Maybe…" Sara closed her eyes and leaned in, deciding to throw it all to the wind. He'd been flirting back with her all night, and she was sure this is where they both wanted things to head. Moments later, she felt his warm lips close of hers. The pressure he exerted was so soft, and had so much care and tenderness. When she didn't pull away, Nick tilted his head to the side a little more and kissed her again, with a little more gusto. Her lips tasted sweeter than he'd ever imagined; softer than he'd ever dreamed. But just like any sweet dream he had, he always woke up.

"I hate you!!" Madeline screamed from where she was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, snapping the two adults out of the little self-created haven. She'd come down to get a drink of water, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to, and had come across the scene. How dare they! How dare they kiss right there in her kitchen! How many kisses had her parents shared right in that very room? Right in that very spot? And they had the audacity to lock lips when they were supposed to just be "friends"?

Nick and Sara jumped away from each other immediately, feeling like complete jerks. They'd let things get out of hand. But it had felt so good; so right. It was wrong, though, to kiss like that right in his kitchen, when one of the kids could and did walk in at any moment.

Sara wiped her mouth and turned away in embarrassment, but Nick turned to look at his daughter. "Madeline, it's not what you…"

"Not what I think? Come on, Dad! Friends don't make out in the middle of the damn kitchen!"

Sara cleared her throat. "We should go." She told Nick quietly, moving towards the entryway to find Cody in the living room.

"Damn right you should go!" Madeline told her. "And you better stay away from my dad, because my mom will come kick your ass!"

"That's enough!" Nick's voice boomed, completely surprised by the turn of events. One moment he'd been kissing Sara Sidle, quite possibly one of the best moments of his life, and the next Madeline was threatening to have Lauren beat her up. Where did this kid come up with this stuff? "You've done enough tonight, young lady. I don't recall saying you could come out of your room, so get back up there now." His voice was stern and no-nonsense.

Madeline stormed off, shooting an intimidating glare in Sara's direction as she put on her coat and Cody did the same. Nick just sighed and rubbed the top of his head. The evening had definitely not gone as he'd hoped. Well, he'd gotten to kiss Sara Sidle finally, but the ending had been less than stellar.

"I'm really sorry about all this." Nick apologized, but didn't think any words he could say would fix what had happened. Madeline had completely ruined the moment, but had it been wrong of them to steal even one kiss? Nick knew it was way too soon for him to be in another relationship, but he'd never felt this way about another person.

"It's okay." Sara kept her voice low, so Cody wouldn't be alarmed. "We probably shouldn't have."

Nick wanted to agree, but he couldn't. The kiss had been amazing, and left him wanting more. To feel those soft, supple lips of hers under his would be pure heaven all over again. At the same time, Nick didn't want to risk his relationship with his daughter in order to have it.

"We can talk tomorrow." He said, instead of agreeing one way or the other. Sara nodded, and was secretly a little happy that he hadn't agreed the kiss was a bad idea. It had been amazing, but now she felt so guilty.

Nick walked the mother and son out to their car and made sure they were good to go. He waved them off, wishing the night had ended more amicably. Nick loved his daughter, but he'd never been angrier with her for insulting the woman he loved. He'd taught her to be respectful of all adults, and she'd always been respectful of Sara, up until now. Nick sighed and let himself back into the house. Something was going on with Maddie, and while he tried to be understanding and talk to her about her feelings, he felt her behavior that evening nixed any chance of that. Madeline had been downright rude and hateful, and he wouldn't stand for it. He always put her first, but Nick had his own needs. And right now, Sara was what he needed.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: Thanks, reviewers!! A lot happens in this chapter! Please let me know what you think!_

With Sara and Cody gone, Nick switched to rampage mode. Never before had he been so embarrassed by his daughter's behavior. As if calling his guests geeks wasn't enough, she'd promised to send Lauren after her if she didn't stay away. Why the hell would she threaten something like that? It was ridiculous. Nick figured she'd gotten caught up in the moment, kind of like he and Sara had. It wasn't the smartest thing, he admitted, to kiss Sara in the middle of the kitchen. But they also assumed Cody was busy in the living room, and Madeline was up in her room. Sure, she was upset that he had kissed another woman, but it was also supposed to be a private moment. He got why she was upset, but the way she'd handled it had been completely unacceptable. Nick thought he'd done a better job raising her, but perhaps he was wrong. Maybe it was the fact she was turning into a teenager. Even so, Nick was determined to let Madeline know that was not the way she would speak to any adult, especially a woman he cared about.

Nick climbed the stairs, his footsteps heavy. He knew he shouldn't go try to discipline Madeline when he was this angry, but he couldn't wait one more minute to hear her explanation as to why she'd behaved like that. The livid father burst through her door without knocking, finding Madeline laying on her bed, her arms crossed, and a scowl on her face. He slammed the door, even though there was no one else in the house, causing her to sit up.

"You wanna give me one good reason why I shouldn't bend you over my knee right now and give you the spanking of your life?" He threatened, crossing his arms menacingly. Nick thought she was way too old for that kind of punishment, but her behavior that evening made him wonder.

Madeline gulped and frowned, her evening looking quite bleak. Now that she'd calmed down a bit, she was beginning to think insulting and screaming at Sara hadn't been the greatest idea, though she was still angry at what they'd done. "I'm twelve years old!"

"Oh yeah? Well that's strange, because the way you were actin' downstairs, I'd say you were no older than five. Where the hell do you get off talkin' to someone like that?"

"You were kissing her!" Madeline was struggling not to cry. "You're supposed to be trying to work stuff out with Mom!"

Nick paused, digesting that comment. Did she really think there was even a chance that he and her mother would get back together? "We're not talkin' about me. We're talking about your abysmal behavior. You may not have liked what you saw, but I'm not gonna stand for you talkin' to Sara, or anyone else that way."

"You were trying to make us act like a family the whole night!" She accused, her voice shaky and upset. "Playing board games together, letting Cody have my seat, having dinner together."

"You were makin' a big deal out of nothing. All you were thinkin' about the whole evening was yourself, at least after you got off the phone with your mother. It was Sara's birthday for crying out loud."

Madeline was quietly crying now, wiping at her eyes. "I just want Mom back."

"I'm sure you do, but that's not an excuse to be so rude to Sara."

"You said you were just friends!" Maddie kept going back to the fact that in her mind, her parents should still be trying to work things out. They were divorced, but sometimes divorced people still got back together.

"Madeline, your mother and I have been divorced for almost a year now. I'm trying to move on with my life, and while I know that's hard for you to accept, it's going to happen." He paused for a moment, just looking at his daughter. She was like a different person, the way she'd been the last year or so. "So, I'd appreciate it if you could stop thinking about yourself for one minute, and not act so spoiled and selfish around other people I care about."

The twelve year old moaned sadly and buried her face in her pillow. She was ashamed of how awful she had acted, and while she was arguing with her father, it hurt that he was so upset with her. All she wanted was her parents back together. How could he ever think it was a good idea to invite Sara over, especially when he was having feelings for her? Didn't he know how hurtful that was for her to watch?

"Get your pajamas on and get into bed. I'll decide what your punishment is tomorrow." Nick decided, too worn out to think of one now. She was already grounded, so he'd have to think of something creative. He shook his head as he walked out of the room and closed the door loudly behind him. Nick was so seethed with her, he couldn't even look at her any longer. He was not going to put up with any daughter of his acting that way. Nick headed back downstairs to crack open a beer to drown his sorrows away.

He didn't want Sara to be scared away, but he was afraid that's what Madeline was doing. Nick cared what Maddie thought of Sara, but he also had his own needs. He had feelings for Sara and didn't feel that anyone, not even his daughter, should get in the way of that. Maddie seemed confused about her feelings right now. Deep down, he knew that Madeline liked Sara. It was just the fact she was going after him now. Maddie's life as she knew it was being threatened, and while he was sure that felt weird, he wouldn't tolerate her calling Sara a geek.

After three beers, Nick got it in his mind that he needed to call Sara to make sure she was okay. She picked up after a couple rings, sounding tired.

"Hello?" She rubbed her face from where she was laying in bed, already tucked in for the evening.

"Hey, it's me. Did you get home alright?"

Sara sat up, his voice stirring her into the land of the living. She cleared her throat so she didn't sound so sleepy, not wanting him to think she was a loser because she went to bed at 9:30. "Yeah. Just fine. How'd things with Madeline go?"

Nick grumbled and sighed heavily, which seemed to be the answer he gave most often these days. "I tore her a new one. I'm so sorry, Sara. I guess maybe she feeled threatened, but I don't let her act like that." He hiccupped.

"Feeled threatened?" Her eyebrows knitted. Was he slurring his words?

"Feeled, felt. Whatever."

"Nick, have you been drinking?"

"I've only had a couple, but yes."

Sara didn't know her friend to be a big drinker unless something was bothering him. She worried about him when he drowned his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle. "Well, maybe you should lay off a little and get a good night's rest."

"Did you enjoy our kiss as much as I did?" He blurted, his judgment impaired.

Sara's heart skipped a beat and she stumbled to answer. That's definitely not something she expected him to be asking just yet. "What?"

"I know Maddie interrupted. But up until then, did you like it?"

Sara felt her face becoming flushed with embarrassment, and was thankful she was just talking to Nick over the phone and not in person. "Uhh..umm…yea. I guess I did." Truthfully, she liked it a lot. The first time she'd laid eyes on that man, she'd fantasized about his kissing skills, and was not left disappointed. Only, now she wanted to kiss him again and again, but she didn't know if that was possible with how much it apparently upset Madeline.

Nick grinned from ear to ear. That's just what he needed to hear. "Well, I really enjoyed it too." He drawled out, his accent always thicker when he'd been drinking. "Maybe we should do it again sometime."

Sara giggled and shook her head. You couldn't get Nick any more honest than when he'd been drinking. "Maybe. I think you need to get things straight with Maddie first, but I'd definitely be up for more. But right now, I think you need to get to bed."

"Yeah, probably. Sorry about Madeline, and happy birthday."

She smiled and nodded. It was sweet that he had called her to make sure she was okay, even though he'd been drinking a little. "Thank you, Nick. Good night."

Sara couldn't wipe the grin off her face after she'd hung up the phone. She also couldn't get that kiss out of her mind and replayed it over and over in her head. The smell of his aftershave so close to her, the texture of his lips, how he'd tilted his head just slightly to deepen the kiss deliciously. Her mind boggled at what he might do if they were ever finally alone together, and he was free to take it even farther. If one simple kiss had made her heart flutter like that, her mind might implode if they ever slept together. His strong, naked arms propped up, framing the sides of her face as their bodies worked together to attain a mind-numbing bliss. Sara sighed pleasantly at the thought and slowly managed to get to sleep with Nick on her mind.

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The next morning, Nick rose a little after nine a.m., not feeling well rested, but he'd never been one to just lay in bed all morning. He fixed himself a cup of coffee and retrieved the morning paper, plopping himself down on the couch. After years of experience drinking, the three bears he'd had didn't give him a hangover, though he felt a little tired. The evening had been amazing, besides the fiasco with Madeline. He'd finally gotten to find out what those lips of Sara's tasted like, and it had made him a very happy man. Now all he wanted to do was kiss her more, and never stop. Nick didn't see how he'd ever be able to control himself if he was allowed to kiss her whenever he wanted. That would be heaven.

He was jarred from his thoughts a while later when his errant child came down the stairs after a very full night's sleep. He'd sent her to bed at 8:30, so she'd gotten around twelve hours. That meant she'd have plenty of energy to do any sort of chore he designated to her. Her footsteps on the stairs were timid for good reason. It was rare that he got that upset with her, and she knew it was smart to keep mostly out of his sight. As she reached the bottom, she timidly looked over in his direction to check his mood. He didn't look up at her, but he was sure she got the message he was still very displeased. Quietly, she tiptoed into the kitchen to fix herself breakfast and get some orange juice.

Nick took a sip of his coffee as Madeline meekly took her bowl and glass into the dining room to eat by herself. He still hadn't thought of a decent punishment. What the hell could he do to make her think about and realize what a rude little heathen she had been last night? As Madeline ate and Nick drank his coffee, the house was eerily quiet, a far cry from what it used to be when he was married and his daughter was doing well.

Ten minutes later, when Madeline was finished, she took her dirty dishes back to the kitchen to rinse them out. She saw the beer bottles next to the sink and knew her dad must have been pretty upset. As the water cascaded over the bowl, she sensed that her father was now standing next to her, his own coffee mug in hand. She finished and set them in the sink but didn't move, knowing her dad wanted to talk to her. He swilled out the inside of it and then set it down in the sink next to her things and turned the faucet off, then leaned against the counter with his hands.

"Have you been thinking about your behavior last night?" His voice was calm, but serious and made Madeline want to run upstairs and hide.

"Yes, sir." She answered softly, not daring to look him in the eye.

"And?"

Maddie swallowed, "And I'm really sorry." She whispered, knowing that's what he wanted to hear. Sure, she was sorry for what she'd done, but it didn't mean she was okay with what had happened between her father and Sara. "It was an awful thing to do."

"You're right about that." Nick crossed his arms and turned around to lean back against the counter so he could see her face better. "And what do you think should happen now?"

"I don't know." She answered softly, but knew he wouldn't let her get away with that.

"I know you've been thinkin' about it. Tell me."

Maddie slouched and felt tears stinging in her eyes. He sure had a way of making her feel awful when she was in trouble. "I…I should probably call Sara and apologize."

"Mmmhmmm." He agreed. "Keep going."

"And you should probably ground me for the rest of the year."

"Do you think you'd learn anything if I did that?" He posed.

"Maybe."

Nick sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face tiredly. Trying to raise Madeline on his own was the hardest thing he'd ever done. "I'm not gonna ground you for the rest of the year. I don't even know what to do with you anymore, Madeline. You're like a different person. Why are you acting like this?"

Madeline didn't answer, but finally looked at him, her eyes begging him to tell her, hoping it one of those questions that he already knew the answer to. She wished he could just tell her why she was acting this way, and knew exactly what to do about it.

Nick cleared his throat and stood up straight, picking up the dishes to put away in the dishwasher. "For now, you're grounded for another two weeks and you can expect a lot more chores. Why don't you go get all your homework done and then I'll have things for you to do."

He moved around her to put the dishes away in the washer, which he hadn't started last night because he'd started drinking. She sighed at the bleak prospect of her next month, and for some reason wanted nothing more at that moment than for her dad to hug her; to tell her she wasn't a bad person, she was just making really bad decisions. Maddie wanted him to say he still loved her, because frankly, she wasn't sure.

"Daddy?" She asked timidly.

Nick looked over at her, but his hands still kept busy with the dishwasher. "What is it?"

She was too proud to ask him for a hug, wishing that he knew exactly what she was thinking, like he always seemed to when she was a little girl. In the last year or so, however, she knew that he was understanding her less and less, and only she was to blame for that.

"Nothing." She whispered sadly, then turned and rushed off towards the stairs. Nick watched her go, furrowing his brow in confusion, but then went back to what he was doing.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

As the day passed, Nick had Madeline do a variety of extra chores, including laundry, vacuuming, and starting on cleaning the garage. By five p.m., he decided she'd had enough for the day. He wasn't sure if any of this was going to teach her the lesson he hoped to get across to her. Really, all he was accomplishing was reiterating who was boss around here and that she'd better heed his word. What he really wanted was to understand why Madeline was acting this way, and get her to a place she felt she didn't have to act like this. He knew it was all rooted in the divorce. Stuff like that could mess a kid up for life, but he refused to let his and Lauren's break up dictate Madeline's life, or his life for that matter. Maddie needed to realize there was life after a divorce, and that it was okay to move on and love other people.

Madeline retreated to her bedroom, thinking that the last thing her dad wanted to do was look at her any more. She flipped open a book to read, trying to take her mind off what had happened Friday night. Later on, she still needed to call Sara to apologize. She hadn't been able to think of the right words earlier. Sara was a nice lady, but she certainly wasn't willing to let her close in on her father. It was still a possibility in her mind that her mother would move back from New York and get back together with her father. She'd always have that hope, and allowing Sara to intrude on their lives was like giving up that hope. Maddie wished she could explain it to someone, but she didn't think anyone would understand. Her feelings were so complicated.

She was caught up in her own thoughts and hadn't realized her dad was standing in her doorway, leaning against the frame, just watching her. He tried so hard to figure out what she was about, but he bet she was just as confused as he was. From what he remembered, being a teenager was a rough time. On top of that, she was having to deal with divorce and an enormous amount of pressure from gymnastics. He'd suddenly gotten the urge to be close to her and tell her how much he loved her. He wanted so badly to understand her, and to be the way they used to be when she was a little girl.

Madeline became aware of the feeling someone was watching her, and lowered her book to see her father. He didn't look angry at her like he had earlier. In fact, he looked happy to see her. "Hi." She greeted him softly, wondering why he was here.

"Hey." He stood up straight and offered her a small smile, then walked towards her bed. Nick sat down on the edge and gently took the book she was reading from her hands, stuck the bookmark inside, and set it on her bedside table. "I, uh…wanted to talk to you. About your mother."

Maddie felt a twinge of hope after hearing him say that. Maybe he needed to get his feelings straight, and wanted her input. Perhaps he'd finally seen the light, and knew now without a doubt that her mother was the one for him, and Sara would never be more than a friend. She nodded and waited for him to continue.

Nick thought this might be hard for his daughter to hear, so he took her much smaller hands in his. He suspected part of the reason she was having such a hard time in the fact he was interested in Sara was because she thought there was a chance of him and Lauren getting back together. That was definitely not the case, but Madeline didn't seem to grasp that. "Sweetheart, I'm not sure you understand about your mom and me. We're divorced. Do you understand why that happened?"

Madeline shifted herself a little and swallowed, not sure what he was getting at. "Because you were having lots of fights and you didn't think you loved her anymore."

Nick nodded. "That's part of it. You see, I'll always love your mother. We had a lot of good times together, and we had a beautiful daughter together, but I'm not in love with her anymore."

The twelve year old narrowed her eyes. "But if you tried, you could fall in love with her again."

Her words threatened to break his heart in two. Had she really been hanging on like this the entire time? Nick shook his head, "No, baby. Your mom and I aren't going to get back together. We're divorced, and it's going to stay that way. Do you understand?"

Madeline looked confused, almost hurt as she searched his face to see if he was serious. "You're not even gonna try?" Her voice was emotional.

"We did try, sweetheart." He tried to explain. "We tried for years and years, but we've grown apart. And like you said, we were fighting so much, both of us were very unhappy. It's for the best that we both went our separate ways."

Tears began to glaze over Madeline's eyes. Of course she knew her parents were divorced, and there was a very slim chance that they'd ever get back together, but it happened sometimes. Like in _The Parent Trap_. The two daughters managed to get their parents back together, even when they thought they weren't in love anymore. If they could do it, why couldn't it be possible in her own life?

"Is that what you've been hoping? That we'd get back together?" Nick asked gently, his hand gently rubbing her hand and forearm. Madeline shrugged and looked down, feeling pretty stupid. It sounded so dumb, coming from his mouth. What kind of idiot thought that a couple of divorcees would suddenly fall back in love? She'd held onto it for such a long time, but it sounded so illogical when her father said it.

"It's been almost a year, honey. And it's okay to move on. You'll always have your mother." When she actually talked to her daughter on the phone, that is. "We'll both always love you no matter what." He paused, hoping this next part wouldn't upset her.

"And you know, both me and your mom may go on and have feelings for other people, and that's okay too." Nick said as gently as he could. Madeline pulled her hand away from his and then moved to lie down on her bed, facing away from him. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to get her to admit it was okay for him to see Sara. Well, it still wasn't. She'd learned he wasn't going to tolerate her being rude to Sara, and she understood that, but she wasn't going to let him think she was all fine and dandy with the arrangement.

Nick cleared his throat, thinking that hadn't gone as well as he'd liked. He still needed to build his case with her. "I'm not just talking about Sara." He told her, though she was his only focus right now. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone, Madeline, and I know it's hard, but you're gonna have to get used to that."

"You won't be alone. You'll have me." She pointed out naively. In her mind, that should be enough. He always told her that she was the most important person in his life. Parents were supposed to love their children unconditionally, and it was supposed to be a love like no other. Shouldn't that be enough? Nick smirked and gently rubbed her back.

"I know. I'll always have you, but the love I have for you is different than the feelings I might have for a woman my age." He tried to explain. Nick loved his daughter with all his heart, but he also had a right and a need to love another woman romantically. It was human nature, and it was normal, only Madeline was making it hard.

It was silent for several prolonged moments as Nick gently rubbed her back, hoping to keep her calm and open to what he was saying. "Why don't you like Sara all of a sudden? You've known her since you were four."

Maddie shrugged, though she knew the answer. Nick gently tucked some fallen hair behind her ear and waited patiently. "Hmmm?"

"She's a nice lady, but I don't need a new mom." That was her biggest worry, Sara trying to take her mother's place.

Nick leaned down and kissed her head gently. "Maddie, you don't have to worry about that. Sara and I are just friends. We may start dating a little bit, but that doesn't mean I'm going to marry her. And if I ever do marry someone else, she'll never take your mom's place. Your mother will always be your mom, and that won't change."

Madeline nodded and sighed, then felt her dad gently pull on her shoulder so she could lie on her back and she would look at him. "I would never date a woman you really didn't like. But sweetie, I think you're being unfair to Sara. You don't really hate her, do you?"

She avoided his eyes because she knew she didn't, not really. She didn't like Sara very much for going after her father, but she certainly didn't hate her. All her feelings were just so confusing, and she didn't know how to sort them all out. Nick gently nudged her chin up with his finger so she'd look him in the eye.

"You don't hate Sara, do you?" He repeated in a whisper.

Maddie paused for a few moments, realizing how important Sara was to her father. He really did care about her, and she was a nice lady. Over the last few weeks, she'd seen him happier than he'd ever been since the divorce. What kind of horrible person would she be if she tried to prevent him from seeing Sara any further?

"No." She whispered.

He nodded, and she thought he saw him smile. "I didn't think you did." He told her softly. "And it's okay to have mixed feelings about it, but I want you to know that no matter what happens with Sara, I will always love you more than anything. Okay?"

Madeline nodded. "Okay."

Nick smirked, his laugh lines appearing, because he was feeling so relieved. He was so glad they'd had this talk, and felt they both understood each other a little better. He'd cleared up the fact that he and Lauren would never be getting back together, and that it was both okay and normal for people to move on after a divorce.

"So does this mean I can count on you not being rude to Sara and Cody anymore?" He raised his eyebrows expectantly. Madeline smiled just a little and nodded affirmatively.

"Yes." She told him, though there was no telling with a twelve year old that something might slip out. It meant she would try her best.

"Good." Nick kissed her forehead sweetly and then sat up. They shared a few more words, and then Nick left her bedroom so she could read quietly. Madeline sighed after he'd left and looked over at her telephone. She still needed to make that phone call to Sara to apologize. Like ripping off a Band-Aid, it was best to get it over with, and she'd put it off long enough. Madeline sat up and picked up the telephone. Sara's number was on speed dial and had been for years, in case her father's cell phone was unreachable and she needed him at work. Warrick, Greg, and Grissom's numbers were also in there for the same reason. Madeline wondered if she'd be having to use this number even more now. After a few rings, Sara picked up on the other line.

"Ummm…Sara?" She answered a bit uncomfortably. Now that the time had come, she wasn't sure exactly what to say, and felt embarrassed about what she'd done. She wouldn't be surprised if Sara never wanted to lay eyes on her again.

"Yes. Who's this?" She thought it sounded like Madeline, but wasn't sure. She actually sounded pleasant.

"It's Madeline. Madeline Stokes."

"Oh." Sara put down the spoon she was using to stir some soup for her and Cody, giving her full attention to the girl on the other end of the line. "Hi, Madeline."

"Hi." She twirled her hair between her fingers nervously. "I, um, I was just calling to say I'm sorry for calling you and Cody geeks, and for yelling at you for kissing my dad."

Sara swallowed and leaned back against the counter, listening curiously. Surely, Nick had at least put her up to this, but she sounded genuinely sorry. "Well, thanks for apologizing, Madeline. That means a lot to me."

"Yeah, I guess I was just shocked." She explained.

"Well, we didn't plan on that happening. It just…did." Sara explained uncomfortably. It was embarrassing that Maddie had walked in on that, and it was awkward having to explain it to the kid.

"Yeah." Madeline wasn't sure what to say, and cleared her throat a little. "Well, I have to go get to my homework." She fibbed a little, but she'd already said what she needed to say.

"Okay. Well thanks for calling, Madeline. I appreciate it." She went back to stirring her soup as they said their goodbyes. Afterwards, she clicked the phone off and soon felt Cody's tiny arms wrap around her. "Hey, sweetheart. You hungry?"

"Yes. Is it almost done?"

"It sure is. Would you like to get out some bowls and spoons for us?"

Cody nodded and retrieved the needed items, setting them out on the counter. He'd heard his mother's end of the conversation and wondered what Madeline had said. Cody definitely was not a Maddie fan after last night. "Mommy, why did Madeline call here?"

Sara didn't think that Cody had overheard, but obviously he had. "Oh. She just called to apologize, actually, for acting so badly."

He nodded and watched his mother pour out half the soup into the first bowl carefully. "Why was she so mean to us, Mommy?"

Sara was sure Nick was still trying to figure that one out. "Well, Madeline's parents just got divorced, so I think she was uneasy about me being over there." She tried to explain without getting into too much detail.

"Why wouldn't she want you over there?" He asked his mother naively. Obviously he hadn't observed the kiss between her and Nick, and she didn't think he even suspected she was interested in her coworker. She, for one, was thankful that Cody wasn't in his teen years.

"Well, I think she's just got some confused feelings right now." She said as she finished pouring out the soup. Sara put a spoon in each bowl and carefully picked them up to carry into the dining room. Cody took in the drinks, and neither of them said anything as they began eating. After a few spoonfuls, Cody spoke up again.

"Is she mad because you and Nick like each other?"

Sara nearly choked on her spoonful of soup and began coughing a little bit. She patted her upper chest with her closed fist for a few moments, composing herself again. Had Cody really picked up on the fact that she had feelings for Nick? She thought she'd been so careful, because she was nervous about how Cody would react.

"Where'd you get that idea, sweetheart?" She asked calmly, trying her best to act composed and put-together.

Cody shrugged as he gulped down a spoonful. "You act really happy when you're around him and one time, you were just staring at him." He remembered.

Sara chuckled at his explanation. Had she really ever stared at Nick Stokes? She probably had, she realized. "Well, I do like him, sweetheart. But we're just friends. You can be really happy around just friends."

Cody's lips twisted to the side as he pondered that possibility. He was no expert, but she'd never looked at any of her other man friends that way. Cody really liked Nick, and was secretly a little excited when he'd seen his mother staring at him like she had.

"Are you gonna marry him?"

Sara choked on her spoonful for the second time that night and had to take several gulps of water to recover. Marry Nick Stokes? She'd thought about it of course. Wondered what it would be like to wake up in his arms every morning and wear his wedding ring. However, it was just fantasy. Just because they had a little crush on each other didn't mean they were going to get married.

"Like I said, we're just friends." She stirred aimlessly at her soup with her spoon. "Do you like Nick?"

The boy nodded immediately, smiling. "He's really cool. And he's a nice dad, too." He'd seen the way he interacted with Madeline, and Cody wished he had a father like Nick. He would be so happy if he had a dad like Nick.

Sara smiled and gently stroked her son's hair for a few moments. Nick was an amazing father, and secretly, that may be one of the reasons she felt so attracted to him. There was something very attractive about a man who was a good father. And as a single parent herself, she was always looking out for good male role models for her son. What if he had a father like Nick? And for the first time, she wondered, what if Nick _was_ Cody's father.

"He is, Cody." She agreed, ruffling his hair again. "He really is."


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you don't all hate Madeline. Please let me know what you think!_

1"I fell in to a burnin' ring of fire!" Nick sang cheerfully along to the old Johnny Cash song one Friday afternoon, tapping his fingers along to the rhythm on the steering wheel, "I went down, down, down, and the flames went higher."

Madeline sat in the passenger seat trying not to burst out laughing as she listened to her father sing out of tune. It was a good thing he was a CSI and not a singer, because they would be penniless if they were dependant on his tone-deaf abilities. She watched as he exuberantly moved his head in time to the beat, and tapped his left foot on the Denali floor. Not always had he been this happy over the past year, and she knew exactly why he had recently gone from down in the dumps to high-spirited. Ever since he and Sara had started dating, he'd been over the top. Her father sang to the radio, sang while he cooked, and danced with the broom, along with other ridiculous habits he'd picked up. Maddie could tell Sara made him happy, and she'd been pretty much on her best behavior ever since Nick had basically blown up at her over her rudeness towards Sara. However, she still wasn't as head-over-heels happy as her dad obviously was. Tonight, however, she was happier than she'd been in awhile because she was officially be released from being grounded, so she'd finally be able to get out of the house. Her father had just picked her up from gymnastics practice – the last one before tomorrow's big meet.

"And it burns, burns, burns the ring of fire. The ring of fiiiiire," Nick accentuated Johnny's twang, drawing out the I's in the song theatrically as it began to die down. "The ring of fiiiiire. The ring of fiiire." He noticed his daughter staring at him worriedly, so he put on his best rock-star face for the last words.

Madeline shook her head. "You need help."

Nick shot her a look, though he couldn't hide his amusement. They were at a stop sign, so he held up his thumbs and pointer fingers in a "W" sign, mocking his daughter's favorite tweeny sign for "whatever". Maddie punched him in the arm.

"That's mine. It's copyrighted," she informed him, smirking. Though she pretended she thought he was a dork, Madeline absolutely loved times like these – when her father was in a really good mood, and they were just bantering back and forth being silly. He was really funny when he wasn't too busy working or feeling sorry for himself. Over the past month, he'd been like this more and more. Maddie realized he hadn't really been like this since before her mother had left. Nothing she could do brought this side of him out, it seemed, only her mother and Sara. She was kind of starting to understand what her father had told her about a month earlier, about how he loved her to pieces, but that he also needed a different type of love in his life – a woman's love. Madeline still wasn't all that happy about him seeking "a woman's love" so soon after the divorce, but it seemed there wasn't much she could do about it. It was like her dad had known all along that he really liked Sara, and now that her mother was out of the way, they could finally act on their feelings. They just skipped all the uncomfortable mumbo jumbo you often get at the beginning of a relationship, because they'd been friends for so long. More than once now, they'd shared a goodbye kiss when they thought she wasn't looking. Maddie watched them like a hawk; kind of like she was the parent making sure two teenagers didn't go too far. It still made Madeline want to vomit, but like many things, she was getting more used to it as time went on.

"Riiight." He smirked as he made a left turn, going through the familiar route of the gym to their house. "So, what are you gonna do tonight?" Nick looked over at his daughter, knowing she was excited about the end of her grounding. She seemed to have learned her lesson, or at least he hoped. No more incidents of rudeness towards Sara had occurred (not counting the occasional slip-ups with him), and she hadn't since been around Cody.

"Uhhh, I'm probably going to go out with one of my friends," she told him, not elaborating much.

"That sounds fun. Which friend is it?" He asked, wanting to be kept up to date on who her friends were, but also to make sure she wasn't hanging out with someone he didn't approve of. If she was anything like her mother apparently was when she was a teenager, he had ample cause to worry. He pulled his truck into the garage of their home and they both got out, picking up their bags to take inside.

"Uhhh, someone you haven't met before," she shared as they both walked inside. Maddie plopped her two bags onto the floor and headed for the kitchen to get a well-deserved snack.

"Uhhh," he mimicked her, "you know I like to meet your friends. What's her name?" He didn't only like to meet Maddie's little friends, but because of his CSI-induced paranoia, he didn't like his daughter going to anyone's house he hadn't met. That was one of the things Maddie had to put up with, but Nick didn't think it was that unreasonable. You could never be too safe.

Madeline bit her lip as her father joined her in the kitchen. She grabbed a handful of cookies and was mindlessly arranging them on a plate, so she wouldn't get crumbs everywhere. "Well, that's the thing. It's not a she."

Nick swallowed and noted Maddie's nervousness. "So, with my scientific reasoning, would it be safe to conclude it's a he?"

"Yeah," she replied, and when Nick let out a troubled sigh she turned to him and decided to begin with her pleading. "Daddy, it's just this boy from school that I really like, and he invited me to go see a movie."

Not just any boy. Ethan Rogers, who Madeline had been crushing on for some time. Of course, she hadn't talked to her dad about him because she knew he'd get all weird at the thought of his little girl being interested in boys. But today, when Ethan had asked her out after math class, she wished she'd at least mentioned him to her dad, so it wouldn't be such a shock for him to hear.

"Madeline, you're too young to date."

"Says who?" She demanded, her voice already getting a bit whiny. "All of my friends have been on dates."

"Well that's nice, but for one, I've never even heard you mention this boy before, I don't know his parents, and you've got a gymnastics meet tomorrow. You need an early night."

"His name is Ethan Rogers. His parents are Mr. and Mrs. Rogers. And do you really think that some twelve year old boy is going to attack me or something? Is that what you're afraid of?"

Nick was regretful that they'd been having such a nice conversation, and now it had turned into an argument. According to his siblings, all of whom had teenage children now or in the past, that was normal. Still, it was amazing how quickly the conversation could turn sour.

"Twelve is too young," he reiterated, then walked to the refrigerator to get himself a soda, hoping to end the conversation. Knowing Madeline, she wouldn't give up that easily.

"See, you can't even think of a good excuse! You just want to control everything about my life," she told him spitefully.

"You're still a child, Madeline. There are things that you still don't understand, and I'm just trying to look out for you, so save it."

"Why don't you save it," she muttered under her breath as she walked towards the stairs.

"Hey! If you want to go out at all tonight, you better knock it off. Am I clear?"

He was only answered with her feet stomping on the stairs, reminding him that she was still indeed a child. When she reached the top of the stairs, she turned around and yelled down at him, "Mom would've understood!"

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Half an hour later, Madeline was still up in her room, having a feel-sorry-for-me chat with her mother on the phone. Luckily, she'd been able to catch her before going out for a night on the town with her new boyfriend, Luke. Madeline wondered what Luke was like, and if her mother ever talked about her with him. Sometimes, she wondered if she'd be happier in New York with her mother, even though she'd have the same problem of getting used to another adult in the house. At least then, it would kind of be like a fresh start. There wouldn't be memories all around the house reminding Madeline of the family life they used to lead together.

"Mom, he's being so unreasonable about it. Weren't you dating when you were twelve?" She fooled with her nails, picking a bit of dirt out from underneath.

Lauren knew it wasn't wise to not side with Nick on things involving Madeline, but she was also trying to be an understanding mother. "I was, Maddie. But you know, he's just trying to protect you."

"He's overprotecting me. I haven't even had my first kiss yet, Mom." She moaned unhappily like it was the worst thing in the world.

"I'm sorry, honey. It's his job, really. He's just scared for you because of what he sees every day." Lauren heard the girl sigh over the phone, and didn't feel like she was helping very much. "Look, I'll try talking to him, but I can't make any guarantees."

The other end was silent for a few moments. Madeline knew that no amount of talking would sway her father's decision. He seemed to have a thing against boys. One time, she invited a boy inside after school when she was eleven when no adults were home, and he grounded her for a couple of days. It was like he thought if a boy even looked at her, she would get impregnated, and she hadn't even gotten her first period yet. Though her mother certainly wasn't a model parent, Madeline was thinking that living with her was sounding better and better by the minute.

"Mom? Do you think I could come live with you for a while?" She asked timidly.

Lauren sighed heavily and ran her spindly fingers through her blonde hair, trying to think of how to turn her down nicely. Maddie's place wasn't in New York, in this cold environment that she was living it. Lauren didn't see how any parent could raise a kid in this town. Plus, Luke had made it quite clear that he didn't want children in his future.

"Sweetheart, your place is in Las Vegas with your father. It's where you grew up. You wouldn't like it here." She finally found some words.

Madeline felt herself tearing up, and bit her lip to keep from crying out loud. She didn't want her mom to think she was still a baby. "But Mom, I can handle it. I won't mind living in the city. I could take the subway to school and I'd stay out of your way and…"

"Madeline, no." Lauren said quite firmly. "You know I miss you and I love you very much, but you need to stay there."

"Because that's what you want?! No one ever asks me what I want! You didn't ask me if it was okay for you to move so far away, and Dad didn't ask me if it was okay to start dating. And whenever I wanna do something, you both say no!" She couldn't stop her tears from coming now, as they slowly streamed down her face.

"Madeline…"

Lauren didn't get a chance to finish because her daughter hung up. Maddie threw the phone down on the bed and then buried her face in her pillow. Being a kid really sucked, especially when she had two parents who didn't care about what she thought at all. They made all the decisions for her like she was a little kid, and never asked if she was okay with it. She bawled like a little kid, feeling crushed by her mother's refusal.

Her bawls could easily be heard from downstairs, where Nick was trying to watch a baseball game on TV. He muted the sound for a moment, and heard his daughter's sobs. That could probably only mean one thing – she'd talked to her mother, and she'd said something stupid again. Nick turned off the television and began to climb the stairs. It was hard to know if she'd be receptive to him when she was crying. At times, she would push him away, and at others she would practically crawl into his lap and cry her eyes out. These days, she was unpredictable.

He tapped on her door with his knuckles gently and let himself in, finding Madeline curled up on her bed clutching the teddy bear she didn't admit to still sleeping with, but he knew she did. He wasn't sure she'd heard him come in over all her crying, so he called out to her.

"Mad, what's up darlin'?" He cooed sympathetically, forgetting about their argument earlier. Madeline stopped her crying after realizing her dad had overheard her and had come to check her out. She rubbed at her eyes and then choked on a few sobs, trying to put on a brave face. Here she'd been, trying to convince him that she was growing up, and she was crying like a two year old. She grumbled, not really giving him an answer as he sat down on the edge of her bed.

"All that cryin' was for nothing?" He gently patted her leg, trying to get her to calm down and open up to him.

"I'm sure you wouldn't care." Maddie muttered as she turned her head away from him.

"What would make you think that?"

A shoulder shrug. "You don't care about anything else I think."

Ouch. "Is this about your date?"

"Mom thinks you should've let me go." Madeline knew that was one of the things that really got under his skin – asking the other parent when one had already told her she couldn't do something. It was manipulative and selfish, but that's how she felt like acting right now. She could practically recite what he was going to tell her next.

"Well, Mom's not here, and I don't appreciate you asking her after I already told you no."

"I wanna go live with her." She blurted, hoping to get under his skin. Maddie knew he wouldn't like it, and it might even hurt him a little. Living with her mom just might solve all her problems. She wasn't nearly as strict as her father was, she was fun-loving, and she lived in New York. That was known to be one of the coolest places on Earth. Sure, she would miss her friends, and her dad sometimes, but it must be better than this. Her mother had already said no, but maybe her father could convince her otherwise. He'd probably be glad to get her out of his hair anyways.

"Since when have you been thinking that?"

She shrugged again.

"Baby, I don't wanna upset you, but I think your Mom's goin' through a time where she just wants to be alone. And you know…I'd miss you too much." He gently stroked her hair. Sometimes he didn't think he could ever miss her when she got in one of her moods, but he knew he would. That was one of things he could never understand about Lauren – how she could move a thousand miles away from her child. Madeline was suffering so much because of it.

"Doesn't Mom miss me?"

"I'm sure she does." Nick was still wondering why she'd been crying. "Baby, have you talked to Mom already?"

Her chest heaved a troubled sigh as she turned around finally to face Nick. "Yeah." She began softly, tracing an unknown pattern with her finger on the bedsheet. "She said she didn't think it was a good idea."

And Nick was sure she'd put it in such an awful way that it had upset their daughter beyond words. God, she was so inconsiderate sometimes. Nick let out a sympathetic sound and rubbed her arm. "Darlin', I'm sorry."

"But I was thinking maybe you could talk to her, because I know you probably want a break from me for a while, especially since you and Sara are…"

"Madeline, no." Nick stopped her with a firm, but gentle tone. He pulled on her arm to get her to sit up, and she allowed him. She began to tear up again as she sat cross-legged and her father took her hands. "Baby, listen. You and I may fight sometimes, but I would never _ever _want to take a break from you. _Ever_." He repeated, his face totally serious.

Madeline felt so loved, but yet so unloved at the same time. She knew her father loved her with all his heart, because he always told her, but more importantly, he showed it. He was the one who took care of her now; who hugged her and kissed her; who checked her homework and cooked her dinners, even though they weren't always that good. Her mother, on the other hand, had left her, and while she knew her mother loved her, it certainly didn't show. It was clear she valued her new life in New York more than keeping in touch with her daughter. And while her father said he never wanted a break from her, that's exactly what Lauren had been doing the last few months.

"You're my daughter, and nothing you could ever do or say would make me want to send you away. And, you know, I really like Sara, but you're the most important lady in my life."

Madeline nodded tearfully and tried to bite back her tears with the next question. "Daddy, how come you can never take a break from me, but Mom can?"

His daughter looked so hurt and tearful that Nick couldn't stand it anymore. He scooted farther onto the bed, back against her headboard, and pulled her against him in a tight, warm hug. There were some things he couldn't explain; things that were hurtful and unfair to his daughter. The ugly, hard truth was that Lauren was selfish. Of course she loved her daughter, but she was doing an awful job of showing it. Madeline cried into his shirt as he gently stroked her back.

"Try not to think about that, Maddie. She doesn't mean to upset you, but I know the way she's acting hurts." He whispered, giving the top of her head a kiss. "Just know that she loves you, and she's just confused about her priorities right now."

Maddie sniffled and looked up at him. "But you're not?"

"Not what, baby?"

"Confused about your priorities?"

Nick smirked and kissed her forehead. "No, baby. Not at all."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The next day, Madeline was looking decidedly solemn in the morning. Since it was a meet day, she had to sacrifice her sleep-in day in order to have enough time to drive to the gym down in Laughlin. Plus, she had to have enough time to shower and do her hair before she left. Maddie was also known to get the jitters, and Nick didn't blame her for it. All her hard work from the last few months was all leading to today and the competition. It as the last one before her big meet of the year – the one that decided if she moved on to level nine or not. Their coach had instructed the girls to think of it as a practice meet to get ready for the next one. Knowing Madeline, that advice had gone out the window.

Nick had just finished getting ready himself, and was about to go downstairs when he heard a frustrated groan from inside the bathroom. "Maddie, you need some help?" He asked her from outside the door.

Inside, Madeline debated. This was the first competition since her mother had moved away to New York. She would also do her hair on a meet day. Maddie liked to have her hair up in a bun high on her head, and needed to put in lots of little hair clips in the back, where she couldn't reach, to ensure it would stay in place. She was getting disheartened because her hair wasn't high enough and she couldn't see in the back to put the clips in right. And if her hair wasn't right, her day would be off to a really bad start, and she wouldn't be in a good mood, and she wouldn't be able to focus, as her coach said.

"I can't get my hair right." She grumbled, not sure whether he'd be willing to help her. Up until recently, Nick had never had experience with Maddie's hair. Lauren had always done it, and done it very well. He remembered that on competition days, she would pay special attention to Maddie's 'do, completing it with ribbons and glitter spray and everything. Nick bet this day was going to be hard for Maddie. He opened the door to find Madeline brushing her hair out for the third time, her eyebrows furrowed and a frown on her face. He held out his hand.

"Let me try." He offered, not sure how this was going to turn out. Madeline studied him for a moment, but handed the hairbrush to him. Nick stood behind her in front of the mirror and began gathering her shoulder-length brown hair into a bunch.

"Make it really high." She told him, her voice sounding slightly more optimistic. The girl pointed to the spot high on her head where she wanted her bun. Nick smirked and adjusted his gathering a little.

"Like an 80's girl?" He joked, causing his daughter to emit a small smile.

"Not quite that lame." Maddie cleared up. It felt nice to have someone else do her hair, though she wasn't sure if it would turn out the way she wanted it. Her dad was a guy, after all, and didn't know much about hair styles. However, as he tied her hair up with "hair thingy" as she called them, it was looking quite good. Nick managed to secure several hair clips under her bun to keep the hair from falling down. After a good ten minutes of work, he examined his masterpiece proudly. If only Catherine and Sara could see this.

Another ten minutes later, they were loading up the car. Madeline climbed in with her competition leotard on under her red and blue Vitaly Scherbo workout suit. She had topped her near-perfect bun off with a red ribbon, completing her uniform.

Nick pulled out of their driveway and started driving towards the interstate. Madeline wasn't saying a word, and he knew she was still nervous.

"So, what did you and your coach decide you were gonna do for balance beam?"

"Uhhh, it's gonna be a flic-flac to layout step out, a front aerial, and then for my dismount, it'll be an Arabian front."

Nick had picked up some of the terminology over time, but he had no idea where all that ranked in difficulty. Her coach had told him she'd been slacking off lately, so he wondered if her routines would be a bit watered down.

"Sounds good." He simply told her.

"Yeah, I'm really worried about balance beam. And on bars, I'm doing a giant blind turn and then a tucked double flyaway dismount."

"Hmmm. Sounds tough. You've just gotta remember to keep your cool. Take deep breaths." He reminded her. That's when she made her mistakes – when she forgot to breathe and started thinking about all the things she might mess up on.

A while later, they arrived at the gymnasium in Laughlin. Some of the other girls were already there, and the coach was having them do warm up stretches, so Madeline just joined in. Nick spotted some other parents from Maddie's gym in the stands, so he joined them. Most of them were mothers, but there were a few dads in there too. Lauren had never missed a competition before, and Nick wondered how his daughter was going to handle this. He joined in the conversation for a while about how their girls were doing and life in general. The other parents steered clear of asking Nick about Lauren, because it was obviously a sour subject. Unlike some gyms, the parents at least in Maddie's class were supportive of all the girls. That didn't stop some of the girls from gossiping and being mean to each other, though. Her sometimes-friend Mikayla, the one that had basically broken open her lie about fainting, was getting under her skin today. She was one of the best gymnasts at Scherbo, and she knew it.

"I'm doing a double pike dismount on bars." Mikayla informed her proudly. It was quite a difficult move for their level, and Mikayla liked to let people know that.

"Good for you." Madeline responded as they both put on their wrist guards to warm up on bars. Mikayla smiled as she clasped the Velcro shut on her left guard.

"Isn't your mom coming?" She disguised her mean comment with an innocent tone. Madeline glared at her.

"Well, that would be kind of hard considering she's in New York."

"I didn't think she'd ever missed one of your competitions before."

Madeline poked her tongue in the side of her mouth and fought to keep her cool. "She hasn't." She knew what Mikayla was trying to do. Mikayla wanted to win, even if it meant corrupting her own teammates. If she could make the others mess up, she could easily win.

"Well, that's a shame." Mikayla dusted her hands and wrist guards in the white chalk provided right next to the bars.

Madeline shook her head. "You're such a bitch."

Mikayla just shrugged and walked to the front of the low bar, ready to begin her routine.

A while later, the gymnastics competition was set to begin. The gymnasts, dressed in their warm-up suits, all walked in a line towards the floor to be introduced. The parents all cheered their kids, and the girls proudly posed, their hair perfect with nervous smiles on their faces. Luckily, Vitaly Scherbo's first rotation would be floor, which was a good place to start. All the beginning jitters were more easily dealt with tumbling on the floor, and not wobbling on balance beam. Madeline performed a pretty clean routine including a tucked double back, front layout full to punch front, and closing with two consecutive front layouts. She received a 9.625, a very respectable score, which left her in fourth place at the end of the first rotation. Nick clapped proudly and whistled as the team moved to rotation two, which was balance beam.

Maddie was the most nervous about balance beam this time, as she had expressed to him in the car on the way over. When it was her turn, she chalked up her hands and did her best to focus, visualizing herself nailing her routine, particularly her landing. When she was on, she could stick her landing quite well, but that brat Mikayla had gotten under her skin a bit. Madeline knew she shouldn't take what Mikayla said seriously, but she couldn't help it. All the emotions from last night were coming back, about how her mother was basically taking a break from her, and all the hurt that came with someone she loved moving to the other side of the country. She wished her mother was here. Her mom was always the loudest at cheering, and the absence of her jubilant roar was painfully apparent as she took her place. Maddie heard her father yell, "Let's go Maddie!". At least he was here, but she still wanted her mom.

Madeline mounted the balance beam and began her routine, which she'd practiced more times she could count. She performed her first skill well, but wobbled a little on her turn. Nick watched nervously, wondering how Madeline could put up with this much pressure. She paused a bit too long before her flic-flac to layout step out combination. As she performed the move, her hips became off-balance, and she fell. The crowd 'awwwed' sympathetically and scrubbed a hand over his chin and mouth, wishing he could go down there right now and hug her and tell her it was okay. Madeline tried to hide how upset she was, biting her lip as she remounted the beam. All that was left was her dismount. She took a moment to compose herself, and then went for her double pike dismount. Nick could tell, watching her in the air, that she wasn't going to land quite right and winced in anticipation. Madeline fell hard and awkwardly on her kneecap. She let out an unpleasant-sounding yelp and rolled over onto her side, grasping her knee with a pained look on her face. A moment later, she started bawling painfully. All the parents gasped in horror. Everyone knew there was always a chance of the girls getting injured, but when it happened it was always a shock.

Nick was off his feet in an instant, as well as her coach, rushing to the visibly injured girl. Nick knew there was a rule against parents coming onto the floor, but he didn't care in that moment. Julie was already kneeling at her side, trying to get Madeline to let go of her knee so she could look at it. Nick practically skidded to a kneeling position on her other side as she bawled, "It hurts!! It huuuurts!"

"Madeline, take some deep breaths and try to calm down." Nick told her as calmly as he could, but he was freaking out. Madeline had fallen before, but she'd never cried like this. She tried in vain to take some calming breaths as her father and her coach managed to pry her hand off her right knee cap to get a look at it. It was already getting swollen and looking discolored.

"Owwwww." Madeline complained, clutching at her knee again.

"We need to get her to a hospital. She may have dislocated her knee." Julie told Nick, wincing. Nick just nodded, too shocked to say very much. He decided taking her himself would be better than waiting for an ambulance, so he carefully scooped his daughter up. Her crying was breaking his heart, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it besides taking her to the emergency room. As Madeline clutched to him and cried her out, Nick had never been more scared in his life.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: A thousand apologies, oh patient readers. I lost my mojo for a tad bit. It usually takes me two or three sits to finish a chappie, but this chappie took me like six or seven at least. I'm in debt to lostladyknight for constantly asking her advice on stuff. Thanks for putting up with me, llk! Also, I wanted to clarify how Nick and Sara's relationship has been so far. They've been going on a few dates the last month, but not that many, so nothing serious has happened – just a few short kisses here and there. Without further ado…enjoy!_

Crutches under her armpits, Madeline solemnly made her way through the garage and towards the door after her visit to the hospital. She always thought crutches were the coolest thing when someone at school at them, or occasionally someone at gymnastics. It looked like it would be so much fun to hobble around all day on a set of them, except now that she actually had to, the fun and excitement of it was gone. Her armpits ached already, and she longed to be able to walk up the two steps to the house without so much effort. Not quite sure how she was going to work her way up, she handed her father the crutches, balancing herself on the doorframe. Nick did his best to help her in, grasping her upper arm to pull her up. The look on her face was heartbreaking. Obviously, she was completely devastated, and rightly so. There would be no gymnastics for Madeline for at least two months, and her chance this year to move on to level nine was shot. Though her interest in the sport seemed to be waning the last few months, mostly because her mind was elsewhere, the fact that it had suddenly been stolen from her was traumatizing and upsetting, and made her realize how much she loved it. As soon as she was in, Nick positioned her crutches back under her armpits so she could get around again. Madeline sadly managed to wobble over to the couch and plop herself down.

"You hungry?" Nick asked her in a soothing voice. She looked so sad that he just wanted to hug her for days, and was being nothing but gentle with her. Madeline just shook her head, closing her eyes, with her injured leg propped up on the couch. The doctor had taken an x-ray of her right knee, and found that she indeed had a patellar dislocation. Luckily, it didn't require any surgery. He was able to move it back into place, and secured a splint. Maddie was given strict orders to do no vigorous activity for at least six weeks, use crutches, do a series of quadriceps stretches every day, and to rest as much as possible. For the rather active girl, this would be sheer torture. What was she going to do with all this free time? She'd always done gymnastics, and not being able to was like losing part of her identity. At least that's the way it felt at the moment.

Nick sighed and looked at his disappointed daughter sympathetically, sitting down on the edge of the couch. Her hair was still up in the bun he'd somehow manage to make look like Lauren's version, with glitter and all. He kicked himself for wishing Lauren was here once again. She always had a way of putting a positive spin on things somehow by cracking a joke or something. Nick would do anything; anything at all to put a smile on Madeline's face right now. He was doing remarkably well himself, having just witnessed one of his worst nightmares as a father. Seeing her go down, and hearing her wails of pain had frightened him to his very core, and he was just relieved she was okay and was predicted to recover fully in a couple months.

"I could make you spaghetti and meatballs." It was a small offering, but he hoped that one of her favorite meals might perk her up a little bit. When she was little, it worked like magic. But when Madeline began to tear up and looked away, shaking her head no again, Nick knew her recovery wouldn't be quite that simple. Nothing he could do would make her feel any better right now, and that upset her. He'd always been able to fix things when she'd been upset before, but he could do nothing about a dislocated knee. It was out of his hands. Madeline knew she was going to have to suffer through this.

"Oh, sweet pea." Nick pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and smoothed a few fallen strands of hair away from her face. "I know it's scary. But the important thing is that you'll make a complete recovery, as long as you follow the doctor's orders." He reminded her.

"For six freaking weeks?" She sobbed, wiping at her wet eyes. Her face always contorted into this rather grotesque, hopeless shape when she was truly upset. "I'll never catch up to the other girls, and I'll never get to level nine, and then I'll never be an elite."

Nick gently grasped her hand and squeezed it. Blowing things way out of proportion was a specialty of Madeline's when she got stressed out. He couldn't blame her though, after going through the trauma of blowing out her knee. "I know it seems like the end of the world right now, but you've had a rough day. Six weeks is a while, but it's not forever. And so what if it takes you a while longer to reach level nine? You don't have to be in such a hurry."

Madeline nodded in understanding, but the whole situation still just sucked, and she couldn't stop herself from bursting into tears. "It's not fair!"

She continued to sob as Nick carefully moved her to sit on his lap, something she rarely seemed to need nowadays. It was the only thing Nick could think of to do, so he just hugged her tightly and let her cry it out. Sometimes sobbing was the best medicine.

After almost ten minutes of heart-wrenching crying, Madeline was finally starting to calm down. Nick gently pulled her face back and looked into her face. She was still crushed, obviously, but her crying bout seemed to have helped get some of the emotion out.

"Do you feel better?"

He got a small nod, though a few stray tears trickled down her face.

"Good." Nick pressed a single kiss to her forehead. "You can cry as much as you need."

Madeline nodded again and slumped against Nick tiredly. "You sleepy?"

"A little. Can I just watch TV for a while?" Her voice was croaky.

The usual one hour a day rule would be out the window for the next few months. "Sure, baby." The fact she wanted to do anything but cry was a step in the right direction with him, so he gave her a little wink and grabbed the remote from the table for her. "Will you eat a little something for me?"

She managed a smile; a good sign. "I guess. As long as it's not vegetables."

Nick chuckled. "Good girl."

The father disappeared into the kitchen to whip up a small serving of cheese and crackers. It made him nervous that she hadn't eaten since before the gymnastics meet in the morning, and now it was getting dark. Ever since the stunt she'd pulled with not eating to get attention, he'd been watching her food intake closely. However, by the time he'd applied the cheese slices to the Ritz crackers and returned to the living room with the plate, Madeline was fast asleep on the couch. Setting the plate down on the coffee table, he stuck his hands in his pockets and just watched her sleeping serenely, thinking about how they were going to get through this together. For the last twelve years he'd been her father, but never before this year had he felt so puzzled and worried about how he was bringing her up. Dealing with this with a partner around might be manageable, but helping Madeline sort through all her emotions and disappointment would be a daunting task, especially since he didn't understand half what she thought most of the time anyway.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he rolled up his sleeves and picked his daughter up. The last time he'd done this, she was probably eight or nine, but over the next couple weeks at least, he knew this would be a regular occurrence. There was no way she could get up the stairs alone without killing herself. As he carried her up, though, he felt a little guilty for enjoying it. Maddie was getting older, she hugged him less and less, and she certainly didn't let him carry her. When he reached her room, he sat her down on the edge and held her upright as he pulled her covers back, then carefully moved her under the covers. Just as he was settling her in, the doorbell rang loudly, startling Madeline awake.

"Sshhh. Go back to sleep." Nick hushed her, rubbing her arm to calm her down. However, Madeline was now wide awake again, and her mouth felt parched from all the crying she'd been doing.

"Can I have some water?" She croaked.

"Of course, sweetie. Lay back down and I'll be right back."

Madeline did as instructed and snuggled back into her sheets, very aware of the brace that was clinging to her knee. Sleeping with this thing on was going to take some getting used to.

Nick disappeared from the room and walked down the stairs quickly before whoever was at the door rang the bell again, hoping to shoo them away quickly so he could get back to Madeline. When he opened the door, though, he got a pleasant surprise.

"Sara?"

The lady in question smiled, holding a rather large teddy bear in her arms, with a cast on its leg. Attached to its arm was a _Get Well Soon_ balloon. "Hey, Nick."

"Hey." Nick's face showed his obvious pleasure that she was visiting, as he opened the door wider for her to come in. "What brings you by?"

"Well, I took Cody to a friend's house for a sleepover, and their daughter takes gymnastics with Madeline. I heard about what happened today." She shifted the teddy bear she was holding a little to show Nick. "Thought I'd bring this by to cheer her up."

"Oh. Well, thank you. I'm sure she'll love it." Nick told her, looking at the little bear. Madeline was definitely not a girly girl, but she did indeed love teddy bears. He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. "I was just gonna take her up a glass of water. You can give it to her yourself."

"Well, I don't want to disturb her if she's resting."

Nick fetched a glass from the cabinet and began filling it with water at the sink. "Well, she could use some cheering up, I think. She's pretty bummed out." His eyes ran up and down Sara's body briefly, noticing her light denim jeans that hugged her just right, the creamy skin contrasted above her dark red tank top, and that distinct Sara Sidle smell.

"What happened?" Sara crossed her arms and leaned against the refrigerator, looking sincerely concerned. It was amazing to him that even after Madeline had been so rude to her a few weeks ago, she was able to forgive and move on so quickly. She loved his kid, and she was cute as hell when she was worried about something.

"Well, apparently the ligaments in her kneecap were weak anyway from all the stress she puts on it with gymnastics, but she landed on it wrong during her dismount on balance beam. Her knee's busted for about two months. It was dislocated, but the doctor was able to put it back in place without surgery."

"I see." Sara winced at the thought of dislocating her own knee. Sports injuries could be pretty terrible, and while Nick was playing it cool, she could tell it had scared him to death. Sara was glad that Cody wasn't into dangerous sports, because she'd probably have a premature heart attack. Madeline was just like her father, though, and very much into sports and running around. "Does she have to wear a splint?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah. And crutches to get around. It's like someone took her air away. I've never seen her so unhappy."

Both knew that lately, that said a lot. "Daaaad!" They both heard Madeline yell from upstairs. Nick cleared his throat and jiggled the glass of water in his hand.

"I'll be right there, darlin'!" He called up, then lowered his voice to address Sara, "I was about to take her some water. Come on up with me and you can give her the teddy bear." He motioned with his head for her to follow him.

"Are you sure?" She asked him a bit timidly, and he couldn't blame her after some of the interactions she and Madeline had in the past. Nick stopped and turned to her, studying her face. He leaned in and pressed one gentle kiss to her lips.

"Yeah." He smiled when he saw her do the same. Nick squeezed her hand and gently tugged her along. Sara bit her lip to keep from grinning ear to ear from his chaste, but sweet kiss. The effect he had on her with just a simple lip-lock sent her mind reeling.

Nick gently let Sara's hand go when they reached the top of the stairs. She was in such a fickle mood since the accident. He was, however, pretty sure that Madeline would be grateful for the gift from Sara, and to see a familiar, kind face. When he pushed the door open, they found Madeline still curled up in bed, looking tired. Nick could swear her face brightened at the sight of Sara, but she hid it well.

"Hey." He cooed, bringing the tall glass of water to her bedside table. "You have a visitor."

Sara stood at the side of the bed, near the foot, until she was sure that Madeline was actually in the mood to have a little company. "Hi, Sara." Maddie greeted her softly. Both adults caught the way she winced slightly and moved her leg a little bit in pain. "Daddy, I think the medicine's starting to wear off."

Sara watched curiously as Nick stepped forward and touched Maddie's forehead with the backs of his fingers lovingly. She felt like an intruder, witnessing the intimate gesture. She wondered what it was like to have such a loving father, and thought about how lucky Madeline was. At times, it didn't seem like Madeline knew how good she had it, having Nick as a dad. "I'm sorry, sweet pea. I'll go get you some pills and I'll be right back."

He stood up straight and turned to Sara. "Sara, make sure she doesn't run off." He winked and smirked before he left the room. Sara laughed a little but bit her cheek so she didn't appear overly happy and giggly around the sullen girl.

"Hi, Maddie." She sat down on the edge, and observed how red her face looked from crying. Sara could only imagine how crushed she was. "I heard about what happened. Being bed-ridden kind of sucks, huh?" She said lightheartedly, sensing that Madeline didn't want more pity and sympathy. From experience, dwelling on someone else's misfortune only seemed to bring more attention to it.

"Yeah." Maddie managed to crack a smile. "I'm stuck in this frilly hell for at least a few weeks." She said, referring to her girly-girl room her mother had furnished for her. Sara had to admit that Madeline's bedroom didn't at all fit her personality.

Her comment caused Sara to smirk as she handed the pre-teen the teddy bear. "Cody and I saw this and thought it might cheer you up a bit."

Madeline received the chocolate-colored teddy bear from Sara, tracing her finger along the fake cast that adorned its leg. "He's cute. Thanks."

Sara could tell she was trying so hard to be congenial, but she was in some pain and just wanted to sleep. Her young face was still quite troubled, and Sara sensed that she needed to talk about what happened.

"You know, Madeline," Sara said, hoping she wasn't intruding. "Sometimes when bad things happen, it helps to talk about it. It's not good to keep it all in."

Maddie studied Sara's face for a few moments, as if to gauge Sara's sincerity, her finger still mindlessly running over the bear's cast. "I know," She agreed softly, "That's what my mom always said."

"Well, she's right." Sara nodded and waited, allowing Madeline to steer the conversation.

"I was really scared." She admitted. "I was stupid for doing that dismount. My knee was bothering me a little. I haven't told my dad really because he worries too much. When I landed, there was this awful pain, and then all I could do was cry."

At any time in the past few months, if Sara had been gently rubbing her arm, it would have ticked Madeline off, but right now it felt good and reassuring. All that hate she had for Sara seemed to disappear at the moment, and she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was the fact she was desperately clinging on to any sort of comfort at the moment. She'd known Sara most of her life, and she'd always been caring, but Madeline had always had her mother up until now. Now that she didn't have her mom to go to, opening up to Sara seemed more appealing.

"Well, no one can blame you for being scared. I'm sure it was very painful." Sara said.

"Yeah. And now I won't get to test into level nine next month. There's these meets where you have the chance to move onto the next division, but now I can't compete." It was going to be a very hard thing to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else in her group move on, and she would just have to wait.

"It may take you a little longer to get to level nine, but I know you can do it if you want to." Sara told her honestly. If there was one thing Madeline had inherited from her father, it was his will. The girl had so much tenacity, and so much vision for what she wanted to do. Like her father, once she decided to do something, there was no holding her back.

Madeline smiled and nodded, because she knew she could do it too. "As soon as I get out of this beast, I'll be back at the gym." Maddie pulled her covers down so she could show Sara her splint. It was like a badge of courage she wore; physical proof of her bravery.

Meanwhile, as Nick approached the stairs with two pills in his hand, he heard the sound of Sara and Madeline talking. His daughter's voice had changed such he left. She sounded more upbeat, or at least not in 'woe is me' mode. He approached the bedroom door slowly, eavesdropping a bit on their conversation because he was curious how Sara had changed her mood.

"I already know that on Monday, everyone will want to walk with my crutches. It happens every time a kid comes in with them." Madeline shared knowingly. Nick peeked in and found his daughter sitting up in bed now, talking rather animatedly to his coworker. She still looked tired, but her face had brightened and she seemed more at ease. Nick decided to knock before he came in, so it didn't seem like he was barging.

"Hi, Daddy." She said as he brought her pills over to the bedside table.

"You two sound like old friends." He commented on their friendly conversation. Madeline picked up the two pills and swallowed them promptly to ward off any more pain. She chugged the rest of the water down also and tugged her covers up a little more.

"We were just talking about her crutches and how everyone will want a ride." Sara smiled up at him.

"I'm sure they will. You think you can get around school alright with those things?" Nick asked.

"Why? Are you gonna let me stay home?" She smiled hopefully.

Nick ruffled her hair and shook his head. "Nice try. I was just wondering if you could use a wheelchair for the first week or so."

Madeline shrugged and started to yawn. "You've had a long day. Why don't you lie back down." Nick said as he began to adjust her covers. Sara stood up so he could get Maddie tucked in. Madeline snuggled back under the covers and allowed her father to pull the sheet up to her chin. "Your medicine will make you pretty drowsy here in a few minutes, so why don't you get a good night's sleep."

The gymnast didn't argue, just nodded and clutched her new teddy bear to her chest. "Okay. Thanks for the bear, Sara."

"You're very welcome. I hope you feel better after a good sleep." Sara smiled down at her. It was hard not to feel motherly towards the injured little girl; to tuck her in herself and plant a kiss on her forehead.

"Call if you need anything." Nick leaned down and kissed her, then turned off her bedside lamp. The two adults slipped discreetly out of the room as Maddie closed her eyes. After shutting the door behind them, Nick gently grasped Sara's hand in appreciation. "Thanks for talking to her. She seemed so much better after your visit."

His warm hand over hers felt so right as he led her towards the stairs. "Oh, it's no problem. She's holding together well." She tried not to let on just how giddy she felt by the mere touch of his hand. It was such an innocent gesture, but it felt so good. Even after the long, hard day he must have had, he still smelled heavenly – this irresistible combination of soap, aftershave, and the laundry detergent he used. Sara discreetly inhaled as he led her downstairs, letting his manly scent waft in her nose. He dropped her hand when they reached the kitchen, and retrieved two wine glasses.

"Care for some?" He held up a bottle of Merlot he'd opened the night before.

"Yes please." Sara stood by as Nick pulled out the cork and poured the liquid into two glasses, taking the moment to admire his physique. He was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a dark blue hoodie. Nick looked great dressed up for work, but there was something sexy and domestic about seeing him in comfortable clothes. Everything about how he looked sent shivers up her spine, from the clean cut hair at the nape of his neck that looked gorgeous against his tanned skin, to how great his ass looked in those jeans. She was still staring at his butt when he turned around with the two glasses, holding one out for his coworker. Sara quickly averted her eyes and accepted the glass, feeling her face flush with red. What if she was having all these feelings about him, but she was still just a friend to him? Based on the kiss he gave her earlier, that wasn't the case. Sara wondered if he'd try to plant another one on her tonight. Certainly busting out the wine set the right mood for it.

"Thanks." She smiled a bit nervously, afraid he'd caught her staring.

"No problem. Why don't we go sit in the living room."

Sara agreed, and they both settled into the cozy couch about a foot from each other. Nick had turned on the lamp on one of the end tables, dimly illuminating the room. The only way it would be more romantic was if they had a fire crackling in the fireplace. Sara tucked her feet up underneath her and took a sip from her glass.

"So, do you think Maddie will pull through this okay?" Sara wondered. There was no point denying the fact that Nick was very concerned about Maddie.

"I'm sure she will. It'll just be rough at first." Nick said, looking down at his glass, rolling the stem between his fingertips. "She hasn't said it, but I know she wishes her mom was here."

Sara felt her heart drop a little bit. She didn't exactly want to talk about Lauren, but of course she would if that's what Nick wanted. However, Nick caught her slight sigh at the mention of his ex-wife. "Sorry. I'm sure you don't want to talk about Lauren."

"It's okay. She's still an important part of Maddie's life." Sara said politely. "It's perfectly normal to want your mom around when you're hurting."

"Yeah." Nick studied Sara's eyes, and knew if he didn't look away he'd get lost in them. They'd been on a few dates, but it still felt wrong to him to start a relationship with her so soon after getting divorced. "She really did perk up when you came over. Thanks for whatever you said."

"I didn't say much. We just talked about how scared she was, and joked around about her crutches." One side of Sara's lips curled up in a half-smile. "She's a special kid, Nick. You're doing a really great job with her."

It was hard for Nick to take compliments on his parenting when they were going through such a hard time as a family. He tried his best with Madeline, but he wasn't feeling like that was good enough lately. Maybe he and Lauren should have tried harder, like Maddie said. If they had, Madeline wouldn't be going through this horrible phase, and maybe she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Thanks, but I don't think I deserve an A in the parenting department right now." He admitted, then took a swill of wine and set the glass on the table.

"Why's that?"

Nick gave her a look, as if asking if she was serious that he actually needed to explain. Sara laughed a little and continued. "She's going through a rough time, but you're staying consistent with her. Her life is as close to how it was that you could make it, Nick. Sure, it's hard for a kid to be without her mother, but she's still got her father."

"What's left of him, anyway." Nick deadpanned.

"Hey." Sara set her wine down and then reached out and put her hand on Nick's thigh. He looked down at her small hand, and then met her eyes. "You are a wonderful father. Don't doubt yourself on that."

Sara allowed her hand to gently rub back and forth on Nick's thigh for a moment and began to pull it away when she felt him stop her. Taking possession of her hand, he gently laced their palms together and looked into her eyes.

"Thank you." He said softly, not taking his eyes off hers. Sara felt almost embarrassed by the intensity of his gaze. It seemed by the way he was looking at her, he knew all her secrets, all her desires, but was afraid to act on them. What if they acted on this and it hurt Madeline somehow? Or Cody?

"For what?" Sara whispered, chancing a look at his lips.

His thumb gently caressed the skin on the back of her hand. "For bein' my best friend. For helping me through my divorce, for…putting up with Madeline having issues."

Sara had to look away, feeling almost naked under his gaze. Best friends didn't look at each other this way. Best friends didn't get that warm feeling deep in their bellies at the touch of a hand. But Sara was afraid of what might happen if she acted on her feelings. What if he rejected her? What if he thought it was a bad idea because of their children?

"I have a confession to make." Nick stated, turning his body on the couch to face her, but never releasing her hand. Sara felt like she did at the movies, when the main characters were about to reveal something so profound, so life altering, that she wanted to fall out of her seat in anticipation. Only, this was her life, and it was Nick that was making her want to tumble over. "I've had a…a crush on you for the longest time."

He didn't look away, his eyes holding steady on her face, as if he was confident Sara felt the same way about him. If Sara ever found the guts to confess the crush she had on Nick, she'd probably be hiding her face behind a pillow.

"Except I haven't been able to act on it, of course." Nick continued. "But, for a lot of years now, I've had this urge to want to be around you all the time."

Sara felt her heart threatening to explode right out of her chest. It was like finally hearing the best news of your life, and there was no way to contain herself. Somehow, she managed to stop herself from squealing.

"To hold your hand…" His fingers tightened on her hand slightly and he let his thumb linger around hers. "To…"

He paused and leaned forward slightly and let his hand rest on her thigh, "Kiss you." A moment after the words were spoken, his lips had descended on hers, in the lightest feathery kiss. Sara closed her eyes and surrendered herself to his lips as they began to softly caress hers, growing firmer and more heated with every meet. She wanted to open her eyes, to have proof that this was actually happening, but settled for running her hands through his short hair, pulling him in closer. She could hear him breathing heavily, obviously enjoying this as much as she was, when she began to push back on his lips, the kiss growing more animated. Soon, it wasn't just him kissing her, they were making out like teenagers.

Sara darted her tongue out, tasting his soft lips for the first time, and losing herself in them. His warm tongue fervently met with hers, both battling and surrendering to each other all at the same time, giving and taking. Nick's hand had been running up and down her thigh, and bravely sought the skin underneath the hem of Sara's shirt. He didn't think he'd ever felt skin that heavenly, that perfect, as his fingertips took their time caressing her side and lower back. Sara's hands were beginning their own exploration, running along his broad shoulders, up and down his strong chest, and finally underneath his shirt. They'd kissed before, but it had just been a sweet goodnight kiss after a date that lasted five seconds max, because they knew Maddie was probably watching. Nick had never kissed her like this before.

"God, you feel so good." Nick broke the kiss, gasping for a moment before adjusting his position so he could lean his weight on her a little more. Sara shifted slightly also, her back to the chair now, and almost jumped when she felt Nick's hand start to touch her stomach underneath her shirt, working its way up towards her heaving chest. He heard her moan before his lips captured hers again, no longer timid and unsure, but hungry and demanding. Just as his palm closed over the soft mound underneath her bra, her cell phone started ringing.

Nick's hand stopped and his mouth retreated, pressing a kiss to her forehead instead. "You need to get that?"

Being a parent himself, Nick understood that whenever the phone rang late at night, her thoughts instantly went to Cody. She nodded and fetched her cell phone out from her purse, checking the caller ID. It showed a call from the Brady's house, where Cody was having his first sleep over. Sara cleared her throat and self-consciously fixed her hair, as if the caller might be able to tell she'd been involved in a heavy make-out session.

"Hello?"

Nick rubbed his hand up and down Sara's back as she had a conversation with whoever was on the other line. From the way it sounded, Cody was having a bit of a rough time being away from home. Sara paused for a few moments as the phone was apparently passed over to a tearful Cody.

"Hi, sweetheart. How's the sleepover going?" He heard her say. "Calm down, baby. Take some deep breaths…Good boy. Do you want to try to stay at the Brady's?"

There was a long pause as Cody shared his feelings slowly and tearfully on the other end. Sara rubbed at her temples and nodded as she listened to her son. "Okay, Cody. It's alright. I'll be there in a few minutes…I love you…Bye."

Sara ended the call and stared at the phone in her hands for a few moments as Nick patted her back a few times, realizing the night would be coming to a premature close. It was the life of a single parent, to have to put her love life on hold for her son.

"You need to head out?" Nick asked, unable to hide the slight disappointment in his voice.

Sara turned to look at him and offered a half-smile. "Yeah. Sorry. Cody's getting a bit homesick."

"Don't apologize. It happens." He told her, giving Sara a wink. After only a few simple kisses up until now, it was actually a bit frightening to think how far they would have gone if they hadn't been interrupted. It would have been amazing, of course, but probably not the best thing for their relationship, especially when Maddie was up in bed after a major injury. Still, Nick was feeling like he wanted nothing more at that moment that to take Sara up to bed with him.

They both rose from the couch, and Sara adjusted her top a little bit in case it had skewed slightly in their friskiness. Nick walked her to the door, putting his hand at the small of her back as they went. When they reached the door, Sara turned, her hands clasped uncomfortably in front of her.

"Umm…sorry if I took things a little far," She started, but was cut off.

"No. It was…amazing." Nick said. They both laughed a little nervously. "I think…I'm ready to start dating you more seriously if…you're interested."

Sara smiled widely and cleared her throat as she shifted her stance. "Yeah. That would be great."

"Great." He couldn't hold back a smirk.

"Daddy!!" They both heard from upstairs. Nick cleared his throat and moved so he could open the door for Sara.

"I guess we both need to go." He opened the door and Sara stepped out onto the porch. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye, Nicky."

"Bye."

Nick watched her walk out to the car to make sure she got in okay, then waved. As she disappeared into the night, he couldn't shake the thought, one that he'd never experienced with Lauren – she just might be the love of my life.


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Yoooo. This chapter is slightly shorter than usual, but it's packed with lots of awesome shit! Please enjoy and review!_

The pain in her knee woke Madeline up early the next morning. Wincing at the sharp ache, she sat up in bed and cleared her throat to yell for her dad, when she noticed a full glass of water and two pills on her bedside table. She managed a weak smile at his thoughtfulness as she reached for the glass, and then quickly swallowed the two painkillers. It was nice to be taken care of, and to have her father talk to her in such a tender voice instead of being yelled at. Lately, it seemed she never got to see her father for very long because he was always working in his office, she was always at gymnastics, or they were too moody to even talk. Of course it was awful to have this splint on and not being able to do gymnastics, but Madeline decided she was enjoying just being at home with Nick.

After rubbing her eyes, Madeline swung her legs over the side of her bed very slowly and carefully, until they were draped over the side. Very gently, she tried standing up by herself but quickly gave up on the idea. It was still pretty tender, and the doctor had instructed her not to rush it.

She cleared her throat again. "Daaad!"

Nick had been up for a little while, and was sorting some laundry that needed to be done in the bathroom when he heard his daughter call. She'd called for him twice during the night, once for water, and another when she needed to use the restroom. Each time, he'd quickly appeared by her bedside, very willing to do anything he could to help her. He'd even taken some time off work so he could help Madeline around and with whatever she needed. Dropping a pair of Maddie's jeans into the dark pile, he walked to her door and opened it, finding her in a sitting position.

"Morning, sweet pea." Madeline loved how caring his voice sounded and gave him a weak smile. She looked rather helpless to him, perched on the edge of the bed, waiting to be pulled up. There she was, Miss Independent, having to rely on her daddy again. It brought an amused smile to his face and caused Madeline to chuckle.

"What?" She demanded as he walked to her side.

"Nothin'." Standing in front of her, he grasped both her upper arms and slowly pulled her to her feet. Once he was sure she was steady, he let go and kissed her forehead. "It's just like you're two years old again. Can't even get out of bed."

Madeline smiled and Nick saw her eyes twinkle how they used to. "Well, at least you don't have to wipe my ass."

Her father grinned and helped her place her crutches under her armpits so she could walk by herself to the bathroom. He would've given her a noogie if she hadn't been so fragile. It was a short trip, but Nick knew that Maddie didn't want to rely on him all the time.

"Thanks, Dad." She told him and began moving across the room. "Did Mom call back?"

As soon as Madeline was stabilized in the hospital, Nick had called Lauren in New York to inform her of the situation. She'd ignored his call the first time like she sometimes did, but after Nick called four times within four minutes, she finally picked up. Nick wasn't sure why he was so worried Lauren wouldn't really care. Well, actually he did know – Lauren had the tendency now to be wrapped up in her own life, and any trouble with Madeline she let Nick handle and went on with her day. Her motherly instincts had thankfully taken over when Nick told her the news. She was genuinely concerned, and talked to Madeline for almost a good half hour, trying to cheer her up.

"No, baby. Not yet." He said, opening the bathroom door for her. Maddie nodded sadly and maneuvered her way inside. Her dad was taking great care of her, but at a time like this, it was hard not to miss her mother. When she was little and stayed home sick from school, her mom would make brownies and watch movies with her all day long. If Maddie had an appetite, she'd make whatever she wanted for dinner. She could be a really wonderful mother when she wanted to be.

"Call when you wanna come downstairs and I'll give you a ride." Nick reminded her before he closed the door behind him. He sighed and went downstairs to begin fixing a nice breakfast for Madeline. Bacon, eggs, and pancakes were her favorite. Lauren always went ballistic at all the grease and fat. She was a vegetarian and didn't like the smell of meat. Nick got out ten strips, more than plenty, to split between the two of them. Just as the eggs began to simmer in the pan, the doorbell rang. Nick turned off the burner and wiped his hands on the tea towel, wondering who would be over this early on a Sunday morning. He soon got the surprising answer, opening the door to find Cody Sidle standing on the doorstep with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Code-man." Nick greeted him, trying to hide the surprise in his voice. Cody lived at least three blocks away, and as he looked around, he didn't see Sara nearby. "What are you doin' up this way?"

The little boy just grinned proudly, like he had a wonderful secret. "Mommy told me what happened to Madeline, so I brought her a present."

He thrust his little arm out, and handed Nick a home-made card and what used to a fudge popsicle, only now it was almost all melted goo from the trip in his hot little hand. As Nick accepted them, the popsicle mushed between his fingers. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Well, thanks Cody. Does your mother know you're here?"

Nick's cell phone rang right as he finished the sentence. According to the caller ID, it was Sara. "Come on in a minute, bud." He opened the door wider and Cody stepped inside. The little boy made himself right at home, plopping down on the couch, as Nick answered the phone. "Sara?"

"Nick!" Her voice was frantic. "Please tell me that Cody is over there."

She sounded terrified, much like he'd been when he knew Madeline was in danger. "Yes, Sara. He's right here with me." Nick glanced at the boy, who was now wide-eyed, having heard his mother's name. The father could immediately tell Cody knew exactly what he'd done wrong. He'd seen that look dozens of times on Madeline.

"Thank God." She sighed in relief, rubbing her hand over her face. "He was making a card for Madeline. I went upstairs to take a shower, and when I came back down he was gone. Dammit, Nick. How many times have I told him not to run off?"

"Just calm down a minute." He motioned with his free hand as if Sara was right there with him. "He's safe here with me. Take a few deep breaths and head on over. I'll have a talk with him."

Sara wanted to throttle Cody for scaring her so much, but nodded her head in agreement, letting out a calming breath. She didn't often get worked up, but when she did it was hard to calm herself down. "Okay." Sara agreed. "I'll be over in a few minutes. Thanks, Nick."

"Alright. Bye, Sar."

They both hung up and Nick set his phone and the pudding-like popsicle down on the coffee table. Cody looked over the artwork on the card uncomfortably. All he'd wanted to do was surprise Nick and Madeline with a popsicle, a card, and the pleasure of his company, but obviously his mother wasn't happy with the way he'd gone about it.

"Can I give Madeline her card?" He asked Nick softly, not taking his eyes off the piece of paper as Nick sat down on the coffee table in front of him. Nick gently took it from his hands and set it down.

"In a minute, Cody." He assured him. "Listen, bud. Did you come over here without your mom's permission?"

Cody twisted his lips to one side and Nick noticed he started to tap his heel against the floor. "I didn't mean for her to notice. I was just gonna bring the card and the popsicle over while she was in the shower and come right back. I didn't mean to make her worry."

At the tender age of seven, Cody hadn't quite mastered the art of estimation and distance. There was no way he could've walked three blocks and back within the time frame it took to take a shower. "I know you didn't on purpose, but it's dangerous for a kid to walk that far without an adult. Your heart was in the right place, but you had your mom real worried."

His chin quivered as tears threatened to spill over. Cody hated worrying his mother. She worried enough as it was without him doing stupid stuff like this. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Nick reached out and grabbed Cody's hand gently and rubbed the back with his thumb to calm him. "It's okay. You're safe, and that's all your mom wants to make sure of. But I think you know it's not a good idea to go somewhere by yourself."

Cody swallowed and nodded. "It wasn't a good idea, I guess." He admitted. "Is Mommy really mad?"

"Just worried." Nick told the boy, and was sure Sara would have a few choice words she'd like to share with her son for scaring her so much. "When she comes over to get you, you need to apologize, okay? That's the first step in making things right."

Cody nodded and imagined that Nick was his own father. He was so nice and understanding, and he knew exactly what to do. Cody started to wonder what it would be like to have Nick tuck him in, take him to a ball game, and make pancakes with on the weekends. Before he could stop himself, Cody stood up and threw his arms around Nick. He was taken aback for a moment, but Nick gladly hugged the boy back, patting his back. "You're a good boy. And your mom loves you very much."

He nodded into Nick's shoulder and then wiped his slightly teary eyes with his shirt sleeve. Nick patted his arm warmly and smiled at him. Moments later, he heard Madeline call from upstairs.

"Daaaad! I need a ride!" She laughed a little. Nick smirked and stood up, patting Cody's head gently.

"I'm gonna go get Maddie. You can give her your card and the popsicle if you'd like."

Cody nodded excitedly, so Nick quickly climbed the stairs. Madeline was standing in the bathroom doorway, having managed to shower and dress herself very slowly and carefully. It was the day after her accident, and she was already smiling at him. Nick took that as a good sign. Her accident was somehow bringing the closer. Maddie was being forced to rely on Nick and let him help her, and she was getting some very much needed alone time with her father. He smirked and scooped her up in his arms, letting out an overdramatic groan. Madeline giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck for balance.

"You have a visitor in the living room." He said as he walked towards the stairs. Maddie looked at him in confusion. "Cody Sidle. He brought you a melted popsicle and a card. Try to act impressed."

Nick gave her a wink. Maddie laughed and shook her head. "Okay."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Nick set Maddie down so she could try to walk the rest of the way, with her father's help. She smiled at Cody, who was biting his lip in anticipation. "Hi, Cody."

"Hi, Madeline." He flashed an adorable nervous grin and held out the card. Nick helped her sit down first, and then she accepted the construction paper card from Cody. Her face lit up dramatically as she read the message out loud, and commented on all the wonderful artwork. It was obvious Cody had taken a lot of time, effort, and love to make the card. Madeline was being very cordial about it, trying not to laugh as she was handed the gloopy popsicle.

"Thank you Cody. I'll put this in the freezer to eat later." She assured him. Cody was beaming, tickled that he could make Madeline so happy. Apart from her calling him a geek, Cody thought the world of Madeline, looking up to her like an older sister. Nick was sure Maddie wouldn't admit it, but he bet she secretly liked being looked up to and getting all this attention from him. Over the years, he'd often wondered what kind of big sister she'd be. The way she was interacting with Cody so gently made him proud.

The doorbell rang, causing the smile to instantly run away from Cody's face, knowing it was his mother. Nick cleared his throat and stood up from the chair arm he'd been sitting on. "Time to face the music, Code-man."

The little boy sighed and walked with Nick to the door, hiding behind him. When Nick saw that he was doing this, he gently corrected him, pulling him over to his side instead. "You can't hide forever, man. Remember what we talked about?"

Cody nodded and waited nervously as Nick opened the door. Sara's face fell in relief when she saw her son standing next to Nick, but then she quickly shifted to wrath mode. Her hair was up in a ponytail, a rarity, and evidence that she had rushed over unexpectedly. She wore some Adidas athletic pants and a fleece pullover, and somehow looked incredibly sexy to Nick.

"Cody Matthew Sidle." She middle named him and put her hands on her hips. "You had me worried sick!"

Nick looked down at the seven year old and nodded, prompting him to begin his apology. He gulped, and then began in a surprisingly confident voice. "Mom, it was wrong for me to leave the house without knowing. I just wanted to give Maddie a card and a popsicle and I was gonna be back before you got out of the shower, but you were too fast."

Sara opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again, studying her son. He seemed to realize exactly what he did wrong, and had already apologized. Most of her work was done, and she hadn't even lectured him.

"You know you're not allowed to leave the house without me knowing where you're going. And walking to the Stokes' by yourself was not a good idea." She said, giving him a parental look, but it was hard to be mad at him.

Cody nodded, looking ashamed. "I know, Mommy. And I'm sorry. I'm ready to face the music." He copied Nick's phrase, using the perfect amount of emotion and heart behind the words. Sara pursed her lips together to keep from laughing.

"Are you? Well, that's good to hear." She paused and reached out to fix some wayward hair. "We'll talk more when we get home. What do you say to Nick?"

Cody turned and looked up at the man he'd admired so much for so long. "Sorry for being trouble. And thanks."

"You're very welcome." He said, patting his shoulder supportively. Nick couldn't have worded his apology to Sara any better. "I was about to make bacon, eggs, and pancakes for Madeline and I. Would you like to stay for some breakfast?"

The urge to throttle her son immediately had passed, so after thinking for just a moment, Sara agreed. Spending time with Nick was quickly becoming her favorite activity, other than making out with him. When she said yes, Sara noticed how her son's eyes lit up in delight. A whole new part of Cody's personality seemed to come out around Nick. He really brought out the best in her son, and she knew he'd prompted Cody to make that apology. She shared a knowing smile with Nick as he ushered Cody towards the kitchen.

"Come on, you little invalid." Nick said to Madeline. She laughed as he helped her stand. This time, he gave her a piggy back into the kitchen, plopping her down on the countertop next to the stove to be more of an observer. Nick put Cody to work mixing the pancake batter. He was a very willing helper, taking everything Nick told him to heart, chatting to everybody as he worked.

"Nick, do you mind if I make a little toast for myself?" Sara asked, since she was definitely not eating any of that bacon.

"No. Go right ahead." Sara nodded and walked to the fridge to fish some bread out. Nick flipped one of the sizzling pancakes over to cook on the other side and got an idea. He crossed the kitchen to hunt down some chocolate chips to put in the pancakes. After finding them in the pantry, he began to walk back to the frying pan just as Sara was standing back up from searching in the fridge. They collided lightly, causing them both to bounce back.

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time. Nick put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed it gently in apology, letting his hand stay a little longer than necessary as they slowly walked around each other.

"No, it was my fault. I should watch where I'm walking." Sara went on, still holding eye contact. Nick just chuckled and shook his head.

"No worries."

Cody and Madeline weren't missing the tension between their parents. It was obvious they liked each other. They exchanged a glance between each other, and had an unspoken understanding and agreement that it was okay. Madeline hadn't been happy about her father's attraction to Sara at first, but she was slowly beginning to change her perspective. From all the assurances from her father she was his number one, to seeing how happy he was around Sara, and finally starting to come to terms with the finality of her parents' divorce, Madeline was beginning to think having Sara in their lives was a good thing.

Nick managed to get back to the stove and untwisted the bag of chocolate chips. "Here, Maddie. Why don't you sprinkle some chips in for me."

She accepted the bag from him and gave him a teasing glare. Nick narrowed his eyes at her, wondering why she was looking at him so oddly. "Flirt." She accused him softly.

"Cripple." He bantered back. Maddie giggled once again. Nick missed her innocent laugh, and hoped now that they were spending more time together, they could get back to how their relationship was before the divorce. He didn't expect it to be exactly the same because she was entering her turbulent teen years, but he hoped they could tease each other like they were doing now, share some hugs, and most of all, share their feelings.

Ten minutes later, the bacon was cooked, the pancakes were done, and the toast was buttered. Madeline was transferred to her chair, and they all sat down like a family, chattering, laughing and talking. This time, Maddie was letting it all in, enjoying the conversation and the company, and not once did she have the urge to say something rude. She wondered what her mother would think if she came across this scene. Would she be mad that they were having so much fun? Would she be upset that Sara was here?

As the breakfast was winding down, the doorbell rang yet again. Nick wiped his mouth with his napkin and set it down on the table. "I'll get it. Cody, make sure Madeline doesn't steal any of my bacon."

He giggled at the request, and didn't say anything when Maddie reached over and snatched his last piece up.

Nick hurried to the front door, hoping to make it quick so he could get back to breakfast with everyone. However, when he opened the door and saw who it was, he knew it wouldn't be that simple.

"Lauren?"


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Apologies in advance for another cliffhanger. : )_

"Surprise!" Lauren said, anticipating a warm, over-zealous greeting from her family. Her smile indicated that she expected Nick would somehow be thrilled to see her again, but all she got was an unpleasantly shocked gape.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" He managed to stammer, but his question wasn't answered just yet because Madeline had heard her mother's voice.

"Mom!!" She squealed from the kitchen, and struggled to stand up. Once she was up, she began hopping to the front door on one foot before Nick remembered how immobile she was and came to help. As he began helping his twelve year old into the living room, he remembered who else was in the dining room and just how awkward this situation might be. Nick was forgotten as soon as Lauren embraced her daughter in a tight hug, both of them squealing like little girls that just got tickets to Hannah Montana. "Mom, I can't believe you're here!"

Lauren gently stroked her daughter's hair, and looked into the eyes that shone back at her. No matter how much she accomplished at work back in New York City, nothing compared to the feeling of love and adoration she got from Madeline. She couldn't believe how foolish she'd been.

"Well, when I heard you had your accident, I couldn't stay away." She said, leading Maddie to sit down on the couch. Nick glanced over at the dining room table, where Sara was getting up uncomfortably. Lauren had been gone for so long, neither of them had anticipated such a sudden reentry into Nick and Maddie's lives. His eyes met with hers, trying to communicate how sorry and confused he was. Hers showed understanding, but Nick could tell she felt awkward. She softly told Cody to get up so they could walk back home. Walking hand in hand with her son, Sara gave Nick a weak smile as she led Cody to the front door.

Nick gently grasped her arm and leaned in. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea she was even thinking of coming over."

"It's okay, Nick, really." She assured him, nodding. "It'll be good for Madeline to have her mom back."

"Am I interrupting?" Lauren asked from the couch, where she was sitting with Maddie's leg in her lap. She'd been excitedly explaining the device to her mother and talking about the exercises she had to do to recuperate.

Nick cleared his throat. "You remember Sara, one of my coworkers. This is her son, Cody, and they just came over to wish Maddie well and have a little breakfast."

Lauren smiled fakely. "How nice." She gently rubbed Madeline's leg, and it seemed a motion of possession, letting Sara know just who belonged in this family. Lauren could easily sense there was more going on underneath the surface, though Nick had tried to explain it away as a simple friendly visit.

"Well, we better be going." She put her arm around Cody's shoulder and squeezed it. "Thanks for breakfast, Nick, and I hope you feel better Maddie."

"Bye Sara." Madeline told her, then looked up at her mom's face grinning. For months, she had dreamed of her mother coming back, and being able to sit on the couch with her cuddling. There were so many things she wanted to tell her mother, and do with her mother, that her mind was reeling from all the excitement. Madeline just wanted to jump up and down, but of course that wasn't a good idea.

After showing Sara out the door and offering another apology, Nick walked back to the dining room, hearing the familiar, but long forgotten sound of Lauren and Madeline chit chatting together. It sounded like Lauren had never been gone; like old times. But it wasn't old times. Of course Madeline was over the moon that her mother was here, but Lauren had hurt her so much over the last year. Maddie would be on a high while she was here, but as soon as she left, she'd switch modes completely, and that wasn't fair to her. Nick was not going to allow Lauren to just come in and out of Maddie's life as she pleased, getting her hopes up only to leave him to deal with the mess she left when she went back to New York. He folded his arms and leaned against the entryway, looking down at the pair.

"How's things with this Ethan guy I keep hearing about?" Lauren smiled, mirroring her daughter's expression at the mention of her crush. She blushed slightly.

"Okay. He sits with me at lunch all the time and he, uh…" Her eyes glanced over at her father and she decided not to go into the details. "Never mind, I'll tell you later."

Nick cleared his throat. "What time did your flight leave?"

"About three in the morning." She tousled her daughter's hair as Nick crossed the room and sat down on the other couch. "I made the decision a few hours before just to throw it to the wind and hop a plane over. I don't like to hear about my little girl suffering."

Madeline was sold, but Nick wasn't quite as quick to fall for the concerned mom story. If she hated to hear about her little girl suffering, she would've hopped a plane quite some time ago. "And how long do you plan on staying?"

She sighed and connected eyes with her husband for a moment. Why couldn't she shake the feeling he wasn't happy to see her? Shouldn't he be thrilled that she finally came back and wanted to help with Madeline for a few days? He sure wasn't acting grateful.

"A week maybe. I left things open-ended with my boss." She said. "He understands why I need to be here."

"And where do you plan on stayin'?" He asked her a bit shortly. Lauren wasn't exactly what you'd call considerate, and it fumed Nick that she assumed she could show up whenever she pleased and expect to have a place to stay. She'd abandoned them, after all.

Lauren glared at him, running her tongue along her teeth in displeasure. Yep, she still had the ability to stare a hole right through Nick's head. "Are you suggesting I stay at a hotel?"

Nick's expression didn't change as he raised and lowered his shoulders in a slow and deliberate shrug. He sure as hell didn't want her here, complicating his life and confusing his daughter.

Madeline hated when there was obviously tension between her parents, but they wouldn't say what because she was there. "Daddy, what are you talking about?" Maddie demanded, exasperated. "Why wouldn't you want Mom to stay here?"

Nick's heavy sigh didn't help ease Maddie's worries. Her mom was here; she was back. Her father had made it clear there was virtually no chance of them ever getting back together, but there was always a sliver of a hope Maddie would never let go of. She'd seen it happen in the movies. Why wasn't he even trying?

Nick stood up from the couch and scratched the back of his head, not sure how to answer Madeline's question. Could he put into words why he wouldn't want Lauren to stay here? He knew he'd give in and let her stay, because it was the right thing to do, but his hospitality didn't mean this wouldn't bug him to his core. They were over, and she knew it, but Nick couldn't help but wonder if Lauren had had a change of heart about the whole situation and this was some weird-ass ploy. Lauren's mind and train of thought were screwed up in more ways than one.

"You can stay, Lauren, but I hope it's understood that it's as a guest." Nick leveled with her, but didn't give her a chance to respond. He walked to the kitchen. If she wanted a discussion, they could have it in private, not in front of their twelve year old. Nick busied himself in the kitchen, rinsing out a few dirty glasses and loading the breakfast plates into the dishwasher. In the next room, he could hear his ex-wife and daughter murmuring in the next room for a minute or so. Minutes later, he heard the television being turned on and up loud, a distraction technique Lauren always used for Madeline when they were about to start a big argument.

"What the hell was that about?" She whispered harshly.

Nick turned to find Lauren with her arms crossed, one leg turned out to the side, standing in battle mode. He leaned back against the counter and folded his own arms, looking unintimidated and at ease, something he knew bothered Lauren.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He shrugged his shoulders.

Lauren let out a staccato sigh, disgusted that she had to explain herself. "I came here because our daughter dislocated her knee and needs me."

Nick scoffed and shook his head at how dim she really was when it came to what Madeline needed. "She's needed you the last seven months, but you've been nowhere in sight."

"Well, I'm here now, when she needs me most. Don't you see how happy she is to see me?" Her manicured eyebrow lifted in a sign of victory.

Nick shifted forward so he was standing, and placed his hands on his hips. "Of course she's happy to see you. You're her mother. But then you're gonna head back to New York and her heart will be broken AGAIN. You can't just decide to be in her life when it's convenient for you, Lauren. That's not how parenting works."

"Oh. Does good parenting include inviting your attractive, single coworker and her son over for breakfast only a few months after your divorce?"

"Sara and I are friends, Lauren." He lied, not wanting to get into a debate over post-marital relations, especially with someone as senseless as Lauren. "And it's none of your business anyway. You've made it quite clear that you've moved on."

It was true Lauren had been quick to move on, and because of that, she'd gotten herself into an even bigger mess, and she didn't know how to tell Nick. Obviously, he was still hurt and upset about the divorce, and her company here was not exactly welcome.

"So can I stay here or not?"

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face. Having his ex-wife under the same roof was not something he thought he'd ever have to or want to deal with. However, his Texan chivalry wouldn't let him turn her down. He'd been married to her for over eleven years, after all, and deep down he still cared about her.

"Yes. You can stay. But while you're here, you need to sit down with Maddie and talk about…" He motioned mindlessly with his hand, "Everything."

"Fine." Lauren's eyes shot him another disdainful look before she turned to leave the kitchen. She almost toppled Madeline over, who'd apparently managed to scoot over on her bottom to eavesdrop.

"Maddie, what on earth on you doing?" Lauren asked of the embarrassed child. She'd heard most of her parents' conversation, but hadn't thought through the fact she probably wouldn't be able to get back to the couch in time. And boy, she had a lot of thoughts. Why did her father have to make her mom feel so bad for coming back to see her? Madeline wasn't an idiot, and knew that more than likely, her mother would head back to New York in a week or so, but that didn't mean Maddie couldn't enjoy her while she was here. She would sure as hell try to be the most cheerful, pleasant, helpful child so her mother would want to stay, but Madeline wasn't completely out of touch with reality.

Maddie shrugged in response to her mother's question as she tried to help her daughter up. "Gosh, you've grown." Lauren commented as she struggled to pull Maddie up. Madeline tried to help, but putting pressure on her knee still hurt, and she had to give up.

"Well, I guess you might have to just scoot back over." Lauren let out a breath from her exertion.

Nick walked over from where he'd been standing in the kitchen and cleared his throat. He bent down and easily scooped the twelve year old up. "I've got her."

He carried her back over to the couch where she was supposed to be, and gently set her down. "Maddie, why don't you do the first round of your leg exercises. You can show your mother. I'm gonna go hop in the shower."

She nodded and couldn't help but notice her father wasn't smiling any more, like he had been when Sara was here. He acted like she remembered him as a young child – laughing, joking around, truly happy – when Sara was here. Why couldn't he remember why he loved her mother so much, and act that way around her? Nick had told her he'd always love her mother, so there was a chance, right?

Nick disappeared up the stairs, leaving Lauren and Madeline alone. He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and a t-shirt from a drawer, then found a pair of jeans on his side of the closet. Lauren's former side was still bare and empty, a stark reminder of their failed relationship. Nick wondered what it would be like if Sara's clothes ever took up the other half of his closet; what it would be like to have her scent all around the house, encompassing his closet, his sheets. That would be pure heaven.

He turned the knob in the shower to hotter than usual, hoping to relax his tensed muscles. Lauren hadn't been around in seven months, and he'd forgotten what kind of effect she had on him. He was already on edge, afraid that she was going to start up a fight. Her mere presence felt toxic to him, but at the same time it did wonders for Maddie. How could he, as a father, turn someone away that made his daughter so happy?

After stripping his clothes off, Nick stepped under the hot stream of water, and let out a relaxing groan. He let the water cascade over his body, trying to forget about the woman downstairs, but couldn't. They'd slowly been getting used to life without Lauren over the past year; slowly adjusting. Lauren's intentions now were unclear. She said she was just here to be with Madeline, but Nick still couldn't shake the feeling she had an agenda. Plenty of times in the last few months Maddie had needed her, but it hadn't mattered. And she just hopped on a plane in the middle of the night? Lauren was her mother, and he understood she was concerned, but she just wasn't the type to fly across the country on a whim, especially now that she had a new boy toy.

The sound of the shower curtain being pushed back caused Nick to jump, jarring him from his thoughts. He turned and was puzzled to find Lauren standing next to the shower, looking almost apologetic.

"Jesus, Lauren!" Nick exclaimed in exasperation. He reached for the water and turned it off and then grabbed his towel to quickly cover himself. She'd of course seen him naked before, but now things were different.

"Nicky, I think we need to talk."

Nick pushed the curtain aside so he could step out, his towel now wrapped around his waist. He saw Lauren run her eyes up and down his body, and it made him want to cover up further.

"Yeah, we do, but couldn't you wait until I got out of the shower? Don't you wanna be downstairs with Maddie right now?"

She ignored his questions and continued with what she needed to say. "Nick, I think I made a mistake." Lauren attempted to reach out and link her hand with his, but Nick crossed his arms.

Just one? He couldn't count her mistakes on only one hand. "What are you talking about?"

Lauren sighed and sat down on the toilet seat, looking completely overwhelmed. "Us, Nick." She looked up at him with such sincerity. "I know I'm hard to live with and we have our differences, but I've been thinking a lot lately, and I can't believe I ever let you go."

Nick couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was sorry for what she'd done, and she wanted him back? Where the hell had this suddenly come from? "Lauren, I…"

"I'm still in love with you, Nick, and I've been missing Madeline so much lately. New York's not what I thought it would be and I…"

"Lauren, stop." Nick told her firmly. All this was so shocking and he was still trying to process it. At the beginning of the separation, there were days he wished she'd come crawling back like this, admit her wrongs, and try to reconcile, but now that he and Madeline had started to move on, it was inappropriate and unwelcome. "You were the one who decided to abandon this family and move to New York. You decided to a passive parent. There were times I would've been willing to work on things with you, Lauren, but you made it perfectly clear what your priorities were. I've moved on and Madeline's finally adjusting and doing better. If you're having second thoughts about how selfish you've been, you came looking for pity in the wrong place."

"No, Nick, listen!" She pleaded, reaching out for his hand, but he dodged it again.

"I have no interest in getting back with you, Lauren, and you're just confusing Madeline. I think it's best if you…"

"Nick, I'm pregnant."


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: Hope everyone had a super awesome holiday. Thanks so much for continuing to review: )_

"You're pregnant." Nick stated more than questioned, and put his hands on his hips. Lauren put her hands over her face and nodded, not wanting him to see her in such a vulnerable state. She'd been such an ass to him for so long, and it was humiliating for her now to need him so much. "And who's the father?"

She cleared her throat and composed herself, bringing her hands back down to the side. "Jake. He and I have been seeing each other for a couple months now. But he doesn't know."

Nick narrowed his eyes at her, then opened and closed his mouth, trying to figure out why he was the first to know. "And you're telling me instead of him becaaaauuse…"

"Because he's an asshole, Nick." Lauren said bluntly. "I don't want him raising this baby. I mean, the sex with him is great, but I just never saw him and me together forever, you know." She rattled off, as if Nick wanted to know about her love life.

"If you think I'm raising this baby, you're off your rocker." He leveled with her. "This is your mistake. You deal with it."

Nick picked up his clothes, then turned and opened the bathroom door, Lauren following closely behind, imploring him. "Nick, think about Madeline. What's she gonna think of me having a baby with some guy I hardly know?"

"Beats me." Nick dropped his clothes onto his bed and began opening up his shirt to put on. Sometimes Lauren seemed like another child in his life, the way he had to point out consequences to her. She'd always had a way of not looking before she leapt. "You should've thought of that before you had unprotected sex with the first guy you laid eyes on."

"He was not the first guy I laid eyes on." Lauren argued, clearly disturbed Nick thought so lowly of her, letting her eyes look over his still chiseled body. She wet her lips and when he looked at her, she quickly diverted her eyes.

"Would you turn around please?" He requested as he loosened his towel and held it with his fist. With a huff, Lauren turned her back to him so he could put on his boxers.

"So you don't care at all about how Madeline will perceive this?"

Nick shook his head and sighed as he pulled on his boxers, then reached for his worn jeans. "Of course I care, but I don't see how it's my job to deal with your mistakes. And how does me raising someone else's baby give her a better perception of you? I mean, she'll still know it's your kid and not ours together."

"Not if you say it's yours."

Nick grabbed his ex-wife's arm and spun her around. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

"You always wanted more kids, Nick." Lauren pointed out, raising her voice a bit. "Maddie won't know the difference. Here's your chance to get another, and you're not…"

"That kid's not mine, Lauren." He buttoned up his jeans. "And I'm not gonna pretend it is. Not for a million dollars."

He snatched his t-shirt up from his bed, his heart racing because of what Lauren was suggesting.

"Nick!" Lauren called after him.

He stopped and turned around, shaking his head. "And do you even know your own daughter any more? You honestly think she wouldn't figure it out?"

Lauren made eye contact with her ex-husband and crossed her arms, but didn't respond. After a few moments, Nick turned his back and muttered something incoherent. Lauren's tongue ran along her teeth as she tried to revise her plan. It was stupid to think that Nick would go for raising someone else's baby, especially after the way she'd treated him. Now she was remembering why she divorced him in the first place. He thought he knew everything, and his holier-than-thou attitude really got under her skin. But damn, he was a really hot jerk, and at least he was financially stable, unlike Jake. Right now, Lauren was in search of some more stability in her life, after her change of lifestyle in New York, and Nick had always been the definition of stable. He was a wonderful father, and Jake certainly wouldn't be. Even though she was self-centered, she did want the best for her unborn baby. Well, if he wasn't going to help her out willingly, then she was just going to have to do something else to reel him in.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Sara shut off the car after she'd pulled into her garage and took the keys out of the ignition. With the gentle hum of the engine and the wishing of the air conditioner gone, the only sound in the car was Cody's solemn, heart-breaking cry. The little boy had his arms crossed, hunched over as he sobbed softly in the passenger seat. Sara wasn't totally sure why he'd broken down. Maybe he thought he was in big trouble for hiking over to the Stokes' house, but all Sara planned to do was take away his television privileges for the rest of the day. Sara got out of the car, and when Cody didn't budge, she walked around and opened his door. Cody turned his head to look at his mother, tears streaming down his face, and snot coming from his nose. He was so nerdy looking when he was upset.

"Cody, come on. We'll talk inside." Sara reached over and unbuckled his seatbelt so she could help him out. The little boy blubbered as his mother gently took his hand and guided him out of his seat. She closed the door for him and walked slowly towards the door. You'd think his entire world was ending, the way he was crying, and Sara would find out moments later that's exactly what he was thinking. Sara grabbed a tissue from the coffee table as she led her son to sit down.

"Blow." Cody paused only momentarily in his sobbing to blow into the tissue Sara held up to his nose. After wiping his nostrils clean, Sara tossed the tissue into the trash and sat down next to him. She began rubbing warm circles on his back to calm him, which usually did the trick. Her hand almost retracted when he let another sob escape from his gut. Sara was sure that being raised by a single mother was ruining Cody. Maybe she was babying him too much and that's why he was so emotional. Once he'd calmed down enough to speak, Sara began asking him questions in the most understanding voice she could muster, given her own current heartbroken state.

Seeing Lauren back in Nick's house had been unsettling for Sara to say the least. It was easy to think of her as out of the picture when she'd been across the country in New York. She wasn't there to interfere with Nick's life, or make him feel guilty about seeing someone new. She wasn't there to complicate things. Sara had always sensed that Nick would never go back to Lauren, but could tell he still cared about her by the way Nick's expression changed as she walked in. He couldn't love Lauren again could he? Could Lauren manipulate him? Was that what she was here to do?

Cody sobbed again, snapping Sara out of her thoughts. She gently stroked his hair and cleared her throat. "Sweetheart, why are you crying?"

After choking on a few sobs, Cody managed to get out what was bothering him. "Madeline's mommy came back so now…now Nick won't wanna go out with you anymore and I'll never get to see him, and if he marries her again he won't get to ever marry you and I won't get a daddy." He rambled on, taking in sharp, almost painful sounding breaths.

Sara immediately wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him a little closer. Whoever thought girls were hard to figure out had obviously never tried to raise a sensitive kid like Cody. "Sweetheart…" She cooed, raking her fingers through his hair lovingly, "Madeline's mom just came back to see her for a few days." Sara explained, hoping that was the case. From all the stories she'd heard about Lauren, however, it wasn't outlandish to wonder if she was up to something.

"But…but why did he make us leave?"

"Well, I think Madeline wanted some time alone with her mother, and Nick didn't want to make us uncomfortable." Her voice was low and comforting.

"What if he marries Maddie's mom again? Then what'll we do?" His inquiring, always busy mind continued to surprise Sara. It was amazing what went through his little head when his fears were left to fester and multiply in his mind.

"Baby, they're divorced. They're not gonna get back together. She's just here for a visit." She reminded him, but his fears weren't doing anything to calm hers at all. Sara rubbed his arm up and down tenderly, and noticed that his crying had since stopped and his breathing was returning to normal. Since an early age, Cody had always managed to get himself worked up over next to nothing. The fact that his whole demeanor changed around Nick, that he somehow seemed to calm her son and let him be himself, made the whole situation that much more worrisome. What if, in some strange turn of events, that Nick ended up with Lauren again? She wasn't sure who'd be more devastated – herself or Cody.

The comment Cody had made about never getting a daddy continued to replay in Sara's mind. She could sense he'd attached himself at the hip to her coworker, and thought the world of him, but had no idea thoughts of Nick being his father were entering his mind. As she thought about it, it all made sense. Kids without fathers latched on to male role models, and you couldn't find one much cooler and loving than Nick. He really did bring out the best in Cody. When Nick was around, Cody could be silly, he could laugh, he could have confidence, and just be himself. But she and Nick were still just dating. They hadn't even taken the plunge of referring to each other as a boyfriend or girlfriend, and Cody was already this attached? Sara didn't want her son getting too close to Nick just yet, in case things didn't work out, and with Lauren around, it really put a damper on the relationship.

"Cody," Sara began quietly. "You know, Nick and I are just going on a few dates. We're not even talking about getting married." She paused for a few moments, and could sense Cody was hanging on her every word like his heart was about to be broken. "Just because I'm dating someone, it doesn't mean he's going to become your father. Nick's just…a friend right now. Okay?"

Sara could hear her son breathing in and out, his eyebrows slightly crinkled as he processed what his mother was telling him. She honestly couldn't tell what he was thinking – was his heart breaking, or was he simply accepting what he was being told.

"Baby?" She prompted him after several prolonged moments of silence.

"I love Nick." He confessed out of the blue, still staring straight ahead. "I wish he could be my dad."

Sara opened her mouth to respond, but found that her lips couldn't form any words. What could she say in response to a statement like that? Would it be completely wrong if she just agreed with him? In the end, she just offered her son a weak smile and a kiss on the forehead. "I know, baby. I know."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Lauren poured herself and her daughter a glass of her famous homemade lemonade, freshly squeezed, and carefully carried them into the living room. Her daughter was lounging on the couch with her injured leg propped up on the arm rest, watching MTV. Apparently, Nick didn't let her watch the channel because Madeline had been so excited that Lauren let her tune in.

Madeline looked up at her mother and smiled as she received the tall glass. Lauren took her spot again behind her daughter's back, so she could lean back, and settled in again.

"Thanks, Mom."

"No problem, sweetie." Lauren lovingly played with Madeline's hair, tucking it behind her ear as she looked on towards the television. It seemed ages since they'd sat here together like this, but the smell of Maddie's hair, and the softness of her skin, was all too familiar. Nick was outside doing yard work. She was surprised he'd allowed her to hang out with Madeline by herself, the way he'd been watching her all morning and afternoon, making sure she didn't say anything stupid. He acted like Madeline was helpless, the way he tended to her every need. But here they were, mother and daughter, lounging on the couch together. If only it were simple as that. Lauren cleared her throat, ready to begin her manipulations.

"Mad, I have some news you're probably gonna be pretty excited about." She began, knowing her daughter would eat up every word she fed her. Maddie sat up straighter and turned in the seat so she could look up at her mother's eyes. They were already twinkling with anticipation.

"What is it?"

"Well," She bit her lip and leaned in for effect. "I found out a few days ago that I'm pregnant."

Madeline's jaw would've dropped to the ground if it hadn't been attached. She squealed in her clichéd pre-teen fashion, and wrapped her arms around her mother. "You're pregnant?!"

Lauren pulled back a little and nodded her head. "I am. I'm gonna have a baby."

Madeline had always dreamed of having a little brother or sister, but she'd never gotten one. Her father had always desperately wanted another child, so she knew he must be over the moon. As she bounced up and down a bit excitedly, it hit her all of a sudden that there was no way her dad could be this baby's father. Her mom had been living in New York City the last nine months, and she wasn't showing at all.

"But…it's not dad's, is it?" She questioned.

Lauren sighed tiredly. She hated to admit that Nick had been right. Madeline was a smart girl, and it hadn't taken her long at all to realize there was no way the baby could be Nick's. However, she'd anticipated this reaction since talking to Nick that morning, and had formulated another idea.

"No, sweetheart, it's not." Lauren agreed, looking down at her hands. "It's…I've been seeing this guy named Jake. It's…his." She broke up her language a little to put on the persona of fear and uncertainty. "But, Maddie, the truth is I'm kind of dreading going back because…well, Jake doesn't exactly treat me right. And I know he won't be happy about the baby."

Madeline's face took on a concerned, confused expression. She got why a guy wouldn't be happy about an unwanted pregnancy, but what was all this about not treating her mother right?

"He doesn't treat you right? Like how?"

Lauren's fingers raked through her hair. "I don't wanna scare you with the details, Mad, but he's not one hundred percent good news." She disclosed inappropriately. Lauren knew that if Nick heard her telling their daughter stuff like this, he'd blow his top. He'd always wanted to shelter her to the point it was ridiculous.

Madeline looked at her mother, scared for her. With a vague explanation like that, the twelve year old's mind was left to wonder just how badly he was treating her mother. Was he beating her? Shoving her down stairs? She looked okay to Madeline, but maybe she was hiding bruises with her clothing and makeup, like they did in those videos from health class.

"Does Dad know?"

"Yes, baby." Lauren said. "But he doesn't really want me around, you know? He's seeing that Sara woman and moving on."

"But…" Maddie was still trying to get her mind around it all. "Doesn't he care that you're being hurt? And the baby…what about the baby? He wouldn't want it to get hurt."

"Well." Lauren looked down at her hands and then at her daughter. "He doesn't want to take on my problems, baby. That's not really his job anymore."

Based on the look on her daughter's face, Lauren knew she'd planted the seed. With Maddie thinking her father was being unreasonable and unfair, perhaps she could guilt-trip and argue Lauren's way back into their lives. This baby needed a good father, Lauren was realizing she needed Nick, and she didn't care who she manipulated in the process to get what she wanted.


	17. Chapter 17

_A/N: Well, I must say this is the most melodramatic fic I've ever written. Lots of drama in this chapter, and more to come. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and a special thanks to lostladyknight and Ladbuy07 for their advice._

Nick allowed his ex-wife to stay in the guest bedroom that night, despite the fact he was uneasy about her whole sudden appearance. It was great for Madeline to have her mother back, but Nick didn't know if it was worth all the manipulation he was getting because of it. As he brushed his teeth the next morning, thinking about all that had transpired since her arrival, he just had to shake his head. Nick wasn't sure how long she was planning on staying, but he for one would be glad to see her go. She had managed to throw so much drama into their lives in a mere day that he feared what else might come to the surface. Madeline having her mother in and out of her life certainly wasn't going to help her.

His alarm clock hadn't gone off for some reason, though he was sure he'd set it the night before. Luckily, he'd woken up himself only twenty minutes after it should've beeped at him menacingly. After rinsing, Nick wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, cleared his throat and headed towards the hallway. It was Monday morning, and while Madeline had implored that he let her stay home from school to spend time with her mom, he was making her go. The last thing she needed was another disruption in her life. She'd gone to bed a bit seethed with him. In fact, she'd been acting a little strange towards him most of the evening, not really speaking to him. He was sure she was confused about her mother visiting and staying at the house. It was almost like old times.

Madeline had taken a shower the previous evening so she could take her time, and not have to rush in the morning. All she would have to do was get up, get dressed, and do something with her hair. Maybe, if her mother was up, she could braid her hair like she used to do. Nick knocked on her door at seven a.m., and she was already starting to wake up. When she didn't answer, he pushed it open and found her still tucked up in her sheets.

"Hey." He greeted her as he walked in. She looked up at him blurry eyed as he turned her bedside lamp on. He noticed that her alarm clock wasn't set as it normally was. "You forget to set your alarm?"

"I guess so." She mumbled, and yawned.

"Hmmm. Well I set it last night for you after you'd gone to bed. And for some reason, my alarm clock didn't go off either." He called her out on her little fib. Madeline huffed and narrowed her eyes at him. She knew it was farfetched, but she was hoping he'd just let her stay home if they overslept, only her father apparently rose with the sun. All that hard work, hobbling so quietly into his room last night and turning his alarm off had gone to waste.

"Why can't you let me stay home from school just one day? Mom's hardly ever here." She argued.

"You're not missing school, Maddie."

Madeline sat up in bed. "Just because you don't want her around, doesn't mean you can stop me from seeing her. I'm not going." She told him just as firmly.

Nick crossed his arms and just looked at her. Though she worked hard to hide it, he knew his parental look still had its desired effect on her. He didn't miss how she squirmed a little and her eyes darted away when he didn't budge. "It's not up for negotiation. We're leaving in twenty minutes, so you better get a move on."

He turned and headed for the door, not leaving her any chance to argue further with him. As he walked into the hallway, he heard her groan and the mattress squeaking. Nick disappeared down the stairs to get breakfast and some coffee going as Madeline carefully swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She hadn't said anything to her father yet about what her mother told her yesterday. He really was a dick if he wasn't going to help his pregnant ex-wife, someone he had loved and cared about for years, and let her return to an abusive boyfriend. What kind of man would do that? He always acted like he knew everything about being a good person, that he was a model human being when all along he was really just an ass.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Nick had just walked into the kitchen when he noticed Lauren already up, sitting on the couch reading a newspaper in a very skimpy nightgown and robe. When they were married, it had been his favorite nightgown of hers because it showed off her cleavage and it was very very short. Lauren knew how much he'd loved it. He thought it was interesting that was the sleepwear she'd decided to pack to go visit her ex-husband. She'd already made coffee, the fresh pot still sitting out, ready for him.

"Good morning." He told her, noticing she'd already set out a mug for him with one spoon of sugar already inside, just like she used to. Nick tried not to take notice, or show any sign that he was somehow affected or touched by this gesture. He poured the still piping hot coffee into his mug.

"Hey." She told him, stroking a bit of her blonde hair as her eyes skimmed the Las Vegas headlines.

"Thanks for making the coffee."

"No problem." She told him, giving him a fakish smile. The newspaper was tossed to the coffee table.

"Decaf, I assume?" He asked, in reference to her pregnancy. Nick hoped she remembered, for the baby's sake, that it wasn't good to drink caffeinated coffee.

"Of course, Nick. I was pregnant once before."

Speaking of the child from the other pregnancy, the bathroom door slammed loudly upstairs as Madeline entered the bathroom to fix herself up. Nick jumped slightly at the sound and then sighed.

"Nick, I don't see why you can't let her stay home one day." Lauren told him honestly, shaking her head as she stood up and crept towards him. Nick let out a slow breath as he poured Madeline's usual – a bowl of Cheerios – and set it on the counter for her to put milk in when she was ready.

"Her life needs to stay as normal as possible right now." Nick told her, picking up his mug again. Before he could move, Lauren had slipped her arms around him from behind, hugging him to her. Like she was poison, he shrugged her off and moved out of her grasp, causing his ex to sigh in disappointment. He walked towards the single couch instead, hoping to send the message that he was most definitely off limits.

"Nick, I'm leaving in a few days and I want to spend time with her."

"You'll have plenty of time to spend with her after school since she won't have gymnastics for a while." Nick pointed out as he sat down with his mug.

Lauren huffed and trailed over to the living room, taking up residence on the coffee table in front of Nick. "At least let her do a half day."

Nick set his coffee mug down. "Why do I get the feeling you're trying to turn Madeline against me? Our daughter is not a pawn."

The sound that escaped Lauren's throat was defensive to say the least. "Please."

"I'm trying to keep her life stable, Lauren." Nick said dryly. "And I know she loves seeing you, but you just coming in and out of her life is really confusing her."

"So, I'm just supposed to stay totally out of her life because I can't see her all the time like you do?"

"No, of course not." Nick told her. "What I'm saying is you need to still be in her life when you're away. Call her, e-mail her. Keep in touch with her, for God's sake."

Lauren sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I'm busy, Nick. But you're right. I haven't been making her a priority." She surprised Nick with her honesty about her recent slip in parenting, but like everything she said, it had an agenda to serve. "That's why I think it's a good idea if I move back. I gave up too fast Nick, and I wanna work things out with you. For Madeline's sake."

Nick let out a disgusted sound. He wasn't stupid enough to fall for her sweet-sounding ploys. If manipulation was an Olympic sport, he was sure she would not only get a gold medal, but set a world record. Throughout their marriage, he'd wanted to believe what she said, and he'd given her chance after change. Giving her the benefit of the doubt had left him hurt and divorced, and had almost ruined his innocent daughter. There was no way he or Madeline could emotionally afford being tossed around.

"Lauren, the time when we could have worked things out has come and gone. I've moved on with my life, and Madeline's finally starting to." He looked her straight in the eye so she would have no question about his seriousness. "If you wanna move back, fine with me. You live your life, and I'll live mine. We'll communicate about Maddie, but that's it."

Tears had been slowly clouding Lauren's eyes as she listened to Nick's speech. She had always, throughout her entire life, gotten what she wanted, and now Nick, someone she could once sway, was denying her. Lauren was having trouble deciding which was harder to swallow – raising a baby alone, or not getting her way. "Nick, I can't raise this baby by myself."

"That's something you need to talk to Jake about, not me." Nick wasn't sure he was being too harsh, but it wasn't his problem. She'd made the mistake, not him. And she'd done the same thing to him, practically, leaving him to raise the daughter they created together. "I don't have a problem babysitting every once in a while, but I'm not helping raise a baby that's not mine."

Lauren breathed out through her nose and shook her head. He wasn't backing down, and she was the type of person to always take things one step further when things didn't work out the way she planned. "Well you've raised Madeline, and she might not be yours."

Nick felt his heart drop to the core of his soul. His daughter was his life, his air, and he loved her more than anything, and all of a sudden she might not even be his? After a stunned silence that seemed to last a lifetime, he managed to find words. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Lauren's shoulders went up and then down again and then she scratched the back of her neck. Steely Nick Stokes, shaking in his boots. It was quite a sight to see. "You weren't the only person in my life at that time, Nick."

Maddie picked that opportune time to call down the stairs to be transported, oblivious to her parents' conversation. He gave his ex-wife an evil eye, signaling to her that this conversation was far from over. Upstairs, Madeline waited patiently to be carried down. As Nick scooped her up, she could tell by the stern set of his jaw that something wasn't right. When they reached the bottom, Nick set her down gently and helped secure her crutches, which she'd carried down.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, feeling like she was interrupting something. When her parents had been married, she couldn't keep track of how many times she had walked in after an argument. The tension in the room was suffocating, and it was all a sickening reminder of how life had been the last few years they'd been married. Nick glared at his wife across the room.

"Grab a granola bar and let's go." Nick avoided the question.

"But you already poured me…"

"Now, Madeline." His voice was stern. Maddie knew it wasn't wise to argue any more. Maybe her mother had put him in place about his responsibility to help her with this baby. If he was such a role model, like he worked hard to come across as, he sure as hell was doing an awful job. She fished a chocolate chip granola bar from one of the cabinets and began shuffling towards the garage door after her father, who had angrily snatched up his keys. Madeline looked at her mother sympathetically.

"Bye, Mommy." She whispered.

Lauren managed a small smile towards her daughter. "Bye, baby. Have a good day."

Madeline followed her dad out to his truck silently. If there was ever a time she didn't particularly feel like taking a ride with him, it was now. For one, he was visibly pissed off and upset, practically a ticking time bomb. He didn't often snap at her, but all the elements were broiling and bubbling. All it would take was one smart remark or slip of her tongue, and it would likely send him on a rampage. For a second reason, she was becoming more than seethed with him. He wouldn't let her stay home from school to be with her beloved mother, and he was just going to sit back and let her go back to her abusive boyfriend. He was a CSI, and he was just going to let bad things happen to a poor, innocent little baby? It was making Madeline sick to her stomach, and she wasn't sure how long it would stay inside.

She took her time hobbling around the truck to get in. Nick was waiting for her, and helped her get in, though he may not have been as gentle as usual in all his frustration. He shut her door after setting her crutches in the truck bed and walked around. Nick was running his hand over his short hair, which was never a good sign. He did that when he didn't know what else to do. The truck began backing out of the garage in complete silence, Nick beyond hurt and angry at his ex-wife. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart, trying to take the life out of him, hearing that not only Lauren had had an affair but that it was going on around the time she got pregnant with Maddie. He guessed it wasn't that surprising she'd been unfaithful, but the timing of it was the absolute worst. But then again, could this be another one of Lauren's manipulations? Nick didn't even know where one feeling started and another began.

Maddie wanted to turn the radio on desperately, but her father looked so out of it that any move she made might set him off. On one hand, she knew it was wise to just keep quiet and not bother him, but on the other hand, for the sake of her unborn half-sibling, he needed a talking-to, as he would say. If her little brother or sister got beaten by an abusive father, and she had never said what she really felt to Nick, would that make her partially guilty for letting it happen? There was no way she could live with that guilt! In the sake of justice and doing the right thing, she had to tell him how she felt.

"Dad…" She began in a rather adult tone.

"What?" He answered, his tone short and almost curt.

Madeline sat up in her chair a little straighter and looked directly at her father. She always felt a little more authoritative when she was sitting up straight, only her hands were shaking a little. "I know you're not gonna like this, but I'm saying it anyway."

Nick glanced over at his child for a moment in confusion as he continued down the road. "I don't see how you can be a CSI and fight for justice every day, and preach good morals to me all the time, and let Mom go back to that kind of relationship."

Her voice was wavering and her chin trembled, fighting back tears as she stared at her dad and waited for a good answer. Nick wasn't sure even where to begin, because obviously she knew something, but he got a feeling not all of it was accurate.

"Excuse me?"

Maddie swallowed, but knew in her heart she had to continue on. "She's gonna have a baby, and you're just gonna let it grow up with an abusive dad? And what about Mommy? How can you let her stay with him?"

Nick was speechless for a few moments out of pure shock. Lauren obviously had a falsely candid conversation with their daughter. "Abuse?" He kept stealing glances at his daughter. "Maddie, what the hell did she tell you?"

She huffed and had tears swimming in her eyes. "Like you don't know. Why won't you help her, dad? She can't go back to Jake because he'll hurt her and the baby!"

Nick felt his blood practically boiling in his veins as he realized that Lauren had lied to Maddie to get their daughter on her side. There was no abuse going on, because Nick knew Lauren would have said something to him. She tried to stick all her problems on him, so there was no way she would've kept this silent. Nick never thought she would've stooped this low; to lie to her own daughter about something so serious. He steered the truck off the road and onto the shoulder. The vehicle came to a fast and abrupt stop. Once Nick had set the truck in park, he turned to his sensitive daughter. Her eyes were accusing and demanded answers from him.

"Madeline, your mother wasn't telling the truth when she told you she's being abused." Nick informed her. He knew that Madeline wouldn't want to believe him. She was still a child, and wanted to believe everything her mother said was the truth. It made him sick that she couldn't trust her mother.

"Yes she is! Why would she lie about something like that?"

"Baby, your mother has a lot of problems to deal with right now." Nick leveled with her. He worked hard to keep Maddie out of his and Lauren's problems, but she had unfortunately already been reeled in, and she deserved a truthful explanation. "One of them is facing the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy. I think your mom isn't happy about Jake being the father of her baby, and she's remembering some of the good times we had together."

Nick was watching his daughter closely to gauge her reaction. He knew this must be horrible and confusing for her to hear. "Sweetheart, she wants me to raise this baby, but that's not my responsibility. We have separate lives."

Madeline had calmed down from her rant considerably, and was slowly trying to process what her father was telling her. Though she sometimes didn't agree with her dad, he had never ever lied to her, and she couldn't say the same thing about her mother. "So…so Mom lied to me?"

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face as the cars whizzed by his truck. He felt absolutely livid with Lauren, but was trying to hold his disgust in because Madeline needed him right now. "I'm sorry, baby. But yes, she did."

"So, she told me she was being abused why? So I would feel sorry for her and try to convince you to take her back?" Madeline was a smart girl, and was already getting the story straight. It was disgusting what her mother had done, and she felt disgusting for believing her. Did many twelve year olds have to discern whether their own mothers were telling them the truth?

Hearing Madeline think through it out loud made it that much more repulsive to Nick. A mother should be protecting her own child, not manipulating her. "Something like that, baby."

The car was silent for a few more moments, and then Nick observed the telling signs that Maddie felt deeply wrong, as she should be. She looked away, trying to hide her face, but her eyes were already filled with tears and she was biting her lip. Madeline felt used; taken advantage of; cheapened. All she was to her mother was a poker chip to get what she wanted?

"She's a liar." Madeline gritted her teeth, fighting back tears. "Why would she lie to me and make me worry so much? She's my mom."

Nick could tell she was fighting back tears, but he didn't know what to say. How could he comfort his child about this? There was no explanation; no 'look on the bright side' to offer. "It wasn't right of her to put you in that position, Madeline. It wasn't fair at all." Nick didn't want to bash his child's mother, but Lauren's actions were so incredibly wrong.

Madeline was angry, but she was also embarrassed and ashamed that she thought her father would be such a prick. Why had she ever believed her mother's lie? Was she that gullible to think her dad wouldn't care if her mother got abused? What else had her mother ever lied to her about?

"Maddie, I know you're upset. If you wanna take the day off…"

"No." She most definitely didn't want to be around her mother right now. "Go. Take me to school."

Nick didn't want to send her to school with her emotions all awry, but as Madeline had pointed out, the alternative of staying home wouldn't exactly help with Lauren there. He was probably going to kick her out and make her stay in a hotel room, but they also had some serious talking to do, and Maddie didn't need to be there for that. Plus, keeping busy would at least take Maddie's mind off things for a while.

"Alright, sweetie." He said softly. Not knowing what else to say, he put the truck in drive and carefully pulled out into traffic. He soon reached her middle school and pulled up in the drop-off circle.

"You have your cell phone. Call me during a break if you wanna leave."

"Okay." She whispered as she unbuckled and put on her backpack. In frustration, she pulled her ponytail holder from her hair, releasing it to fall to her shoulders, and tossed it onto the dashboard. Madeline carefully exited the truck and grabbed her crutches from the bed. He watched her as she positioned them under her armpits, her face now composed. Maddie had an amazing ability to calm and collect herself quickly, something that could probably be attributed to her gymnastics training. She offered him a small smile, though he could still see the hurt in her eyes. "I love you."

"Love you too." He said softly. "Bye darlin'."

The door shut and he watched her maneuver carefully around the other kids to the door. As she disappeared, Nick's eyes fell to the hair tie she'd just taken out. She'd ripped it off so suddenly and harshly that she'd pulled a few hairs out with it He just stared at it for a few moments before he picked it up and examined it. What those strands of hair contained would give him the answer to a question he never thought would come up. Was Madeline really his?

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Sara Sidle was already running late as she drove 45 miles per hour in a 30, hoping to get to Nick's house before taking Cody to school. Today, she was signed up to go with Cody and his class on a field trip to a museum, only she had taken a couple case files home with her that needed to be back at the lab today. She wouldn't be back until after three, when Cody's school got out, and was hoping that Nick could take them in when he reported for work at nine.

Sara rolled, more than stopped, at a stop sign, causing Cody to gasp and look at his mother like she was an alien.

"Mommy, you didn't stop!" He told her, exasperated.

"I know, Cody. I'm in a bit of a hurry." She explained, but knew that wouldn't let her off the hook in Cody's eyes. Sara made a right turn onto Nick's street and just hoped that he was still home.

"That's how people die every day, Mom. And you're a CSI, you should know that."

"Cody, not now please." She told him as she pulled into Nick's driveway. The garage door was closed, so she couldn't even tell if his truck was there. Sara reached into the next row of seats to grab the stack of case files and left the car running. "I'll be right back. Stay here."

Cody didn't have a chance to argue, because his mother was gone in a flash. Sara scurried up the walkway, onto the porch, and then rang the doorbell. She wasn't sure if Lauren was still around. Surely, Nick was making her stay at a hotel, right? She and Nick were seeing each other now, so Sara really didn't think he would allow his ex to stay in his house. Moments later, she heard footsteps coming towards the door. The door opened, and standing there was the last person she wanted to see. It was Lauren. And her boobs.

"Oh, hello Sara." Lauren's eyes ran up and down Sara's body, as if she were sizing her up.

"Uhh…hi." Why the hell was she not only at Nick's house, but had apparently slept there and worn a very skimpy pair of pajamas? "Is Nick around?"

"No. He took Madeline to school."

Lauren didn't understand what he saw in Sara. She was way too skinny, and had this odd-looking gap between her teeth. Plus, she was practically president of the nerds. What could Nick find interesting about a woman who listened to police radios in her free time and had no social life? There was no way that Lauren was going to lose Nick to some geek.

"Oh." She readjusted the case files in her arms. "Well I was actually just hoping to drop these case files off for him to take in later. I'm scheduled to go on a field trip with Cody, and I don't have time to go across town to drop these off at the lab."

"Oh, that's no problem." Lauren held out her hand to take the case files. "I'll make sure he gets them."

Cody had since rolled down the window and climbed over to the driver's seat. "Mom!! We're gonna be late!"

Sara sighed and waved at him before passing the files over to Lauren.

"Cody is such an adorable boy." Lauren told her, smiling and giving the little boy a wave. Cody just glared at her. "Nick's always wanted a son, you know." She reminisced as she gently rubbed her almost non-visible bump. "I hope that's what this one is gonna be so he finally gets his wish."

Sara's jaw dropped slightly as well as her heart. If she was hearing things clearly, Lauren had just informed her that she and Nick were expecting a baby together. "You're expecting?"

The expectant mother's eyes lit up proudly as she rested her hand on her belly. "Yeah. I'm just a few weeks along, but Nick's already thrilled. He's always wanted to give Maddie a sibling." She smiled even more when she noticed the stunned, hurt look that had overcome Sara's face. If Nick wasn't going to cooperate, she was going to take down everything dear to him. In her eyes, he was ruining her life, so she was going to ruin his.

"Well, congratulations." Sara managed as she began walking backwards from the door. "Congratulations to you both."


	18. Chapter 18

_A/N: Hey, old pals. Sorry, I suck at updating! LLK pointed out to me that you can't get DNA from a fallen hair. It has to be pulled out, and the follicle still intact. So I'm just slightly changing the last chapter that Maddie pulled her hair out of a ponytail, and several hairs got caught and pulled out, so he can check it for DNA. Also, lostladyknight deserves an award for putting up with my ass, with my constant questions and pleadings for advice. LLK, you truly are, as I like to say, a synonym for awesome._

Lauren had done a lot of disgusting things over the years, but Nick didn't remember ever been this seethed with her. When she got backed into a corner, she'd been known to do some pretty questionable things, but nothing of this level. Nick just couldn't get over the fact that she had lied to her own daughter. And not just a little lie either. Didn't she know how many women don't report abuse because they're afraid of the repercussions? He was a criminalist and his own former wife was pulling crap like this? But what had Nick worried was the effect her lies would have on Madeline, not on him. All her life, Maddie had adored her mother. They were different from each other, but she'd always held her mother in such high regard. Lauren was lively, cheerful, but also two-faced. Up until now, Lauren had the decency to never subject her daughter to her manipulations. Nick couldn't get over the look on Maddie's face when she realized what her mother had done.

After dropping his daughter off at school, and seeing that look of betrayal in her eyes, Nick headed straight for the lab. A heavy sigh left his chest as he pulled into the crime lab's parking lot, his heart beating loudly. Madeline. His life. His pride and joy. But was she even his? Using the DNA lab for personal use was probably against departmental policy and horribly unethical, but with the day Nick was having, he just dared anyone to challenge him. He couldn't help but jump to conclusions and think the worst. What if Madeline wasn't his, and he'd been raising some other guy's child all these years? Madeline would probably want to meet her real father and start a relationship with him. Maybe she'd like the other guy better, and he'd get shunned and shut out of her life. Then where would he be? Nick was realizing how much Madeline was part of his identity. His proudest role was being her father, and if he didn't have that, he wasn't sure what he was anymore.

Nick entered the CSI Headquarters on a mission. He'd found a spare bank envelope in the glove compartment and carefully placed Madeline's hair tie inside, tucking it in his jacket pocket. With some luck, a hair follicle would be still attached to the end of one of the strands and DNA could be distracted. Otherwise, he'd have to go home and find something else. He didn't think he could delay another minute in finding out if Maddie was his. Several people said hello to him, but Nick wasn't concerned right now with being polite and cordial. He made a beeline for the DNA lab where Greg was running tests on a blood sample. It wasn't uncommon for Nick to come in on his time off, but he hadn't lately with all the drama in his personal life.

"Hey, man. You're not due in 'til noon are you?" Greg asked him.

Nick set the envelope containing Maddie's hair onto the table top with a sigh and cut right to the chase. "I need a favor, man."

By the look on Nick's face, Greg could tell this was important. It wasn't common to see the normally easy-going Nick looking stressed and worried. Greg put aside his blood sample and gave his coworker his full attention. "What do you need?"

"This doesn't leave the room." Nick leveled with him seriously, not caring at the moment if he seemed harsh or abrasive. Greg nodded in agreement. "I need you to run a DNA test for me, off the record and ASAP. I need you to compare the hair in this envelope with a mouth swab and then tell me if you can establish paternity."

"Sure." Greg agreed, opening up the envelope to retrieve the hair. "Which mouth swab?"

Nick grabbed a spare mouth swab from the supply drawer, opened the cap and quickly swabbed the inside of his cheek. He closed it with a click, and handed it to Greg.

"Everything alright?" Greg asked as he accepted the swab, not really knowing what to say.

Nick scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. "I don't know, man. I really don't know."

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The errand to the lab had at least given Nick some time to cool down after what Madeline had told him, but as soon as he pulled into the driveway he could feel his blood boiling again. He knew Lauren was inside. Conniving, manipulative Lauren, and it made him sick. He wasn't sure what was first on her agenda – ruining his and Maddie's lives, convincing him to father her child, or ruining her relationship with her daughter. Whatever it was, she was excelling at all three.

Nick shut off the Denali and got out, slamming the door loudly. He'd already formulated what he was going to say in his mind, and exactly how to say it. There was no way he was going to let her stay in this house one more minute after the things she'd done and planned to give her an earful about it. It felt like he was in the middle of a soap opera, honest to God.

He opened the garage door to find Lauren pacing the living room, laughing on the phone with someone like everything was perfect with the world. Her eyes darted from examining her perfectly manicured fingernails to Nick's thoroughly perturbed face. For a moment, her heart skipped a beat because it was obvious how pissed he was. He'd likely found out about the lies she'd told Madeline and while she knew this reaction was coming, it didn't make it any easier to pacify him. Didn't he see why she was doing all this? Didn't he see how much she needed him, and how much this baby needed him?

"I gotta go." She said quickly and clicked the phone off, setting it gently on the table as Nick slammed the door. Lauren stood up tall, ready to face Nick, putting her hands on her hips.

"You do realize you just ruined about any chance you have of having a good relationship with your daughter?" He began, his face tense and his eyes unforgiving. Nick was inching closer to her, his hands beginning to gesture angrily to match his state of mind. Lauren didn't back away and stood her ground.

"I wouldn't have to do this if you would just help me!" She spat back. Nick was not about to let her play the victim. With Madeline out of the house, there was no holding him back from raising his voice and letting his anger out.

"Help you?! Why don't you start by putting your own daughter in front of your own poor decisions. You're the one who got pregnant and that's no one else's responsibility except you and Jake's. It's not my job to help you."

"How can you be married to someone for eleven years and then suddenly not give a shit about them? It's like you're just dumping me on the side of the road."

Nick grunted in disgust. "Well, baby, as you said. I wasn't the only one in your life when we were married." He chastised her. "And you expect me to just roll over and help you at the snap of a finger when you treated me and Maddie like shit and then took off for another state? You need to get in touch with reality."

In contrast to all the yelling that was going on, Lauren lowered her voice. "You're being unreasonable."

Nick just studied his ex-wife for a few moments, realizing he didn't care anymore to figure out what was going on inside her head. He was done with trying to figure her out and being civil with her for Maddie's sake. If she was around him any longer, Nick thought he was going to explode. "You just need to get out. You're not welcome here anymore."

He turned to go into the kitchen and get himself a bottle of water. Nick hoped their relationship would never come to this, where he literally had to force her out of his life. He didn't want that, but she was so toxic he didn't really have a choice.

Lauren was speechless and took a few steps towards him as he retrieved a water from the fridge. "Excuse me?"

"Get out of my house." He stated clearly as he shut the refrigerator door.

"My plane doesn't leave for two days, Nicholas."

"Then get a hotel room or stay at a casino. Maybe you have an old boyfriend you could hook up with for a few days."

Lauren was not amused at his low blow, but knew she deserved it. Obviously, things weren't working out the way she planned and being treated like she was the worst person on the face of the planet wasn't exactly pleasant. "Forget it. I'll just leave. I'm going back to New York." She decided, turning to head up the stairs.

Nick would be happy to see her go, but Madeline deserved better than to come home and find that her mother had taken off yet again. "You need to say goodbye your daughter first." Nick's voice stopped her at the bottom of the stairs. "She's heartbroken and you need to be a parent and fix it. Maddie deserves an explanation from you."

Lauren's tongue traveled over her teeth in thought as she stood a few steps up, staring at Nick. Deep down, she really didn't want to be the kind of parent who hurt her child. She loved Maddie to pieces, but not always in the right way. Lauren was also realizing Madeline was growing up now, and wasn't at all naïve anymore. She was smart as a whip like her father, and knew she'd have some serious explaining to do. It made Lauren almost sick to her stomach that despite her love for her own child, all she really wanted to do was cut and run.

"You're so self righteous. I'll decide what I need to do in regards to Madeline, thank you." Lauren told him in her typical hard-headed fashion, not willing to be painted as totally incompetent in the parenting department. She would deal with it all in her own way.

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Cody Sidle stayed close by to his mother as his class was lead around the museum by a tour guide. He could sense that his mother was stressed out. She had been ever since she'd dropped off those files at the Stokes' house. So, Cody did what he'd always done when he saw is mother was upset. He held her hand and made sure he was on his absolute best behavior. Whenever she said something, he agreed with it no matter if he actually did or not. Like at the caveman exhibit, when she commented on how cool their cave paintings were, Cody had adamantly agreed, even though he thought they were dumb. And when they ate lunch earlier and Cody saw that his mother packed him grape juice instead of the apple juice he'd asked for, he didn't complain. If she saw how good he was being, maybe she'd forget about whatever it was that was bothering her.

He'd seen Madeline's mother at the door when they dropped off the files. It had upset Cody also, but he was trying his best to be brave about it. His mother had explained to him the other day, after all, that she was just visiting. That house had been her home also for a while, so she probably still had dibs on it. While she was here, Cody figured it was perfectly alright for her to stay in her old house.

"Cody, pay attention." Sara gently reprimanded her son when he didn't move along with the rest of his class to the next exhibit. The kid was daydreaming yet again about who knew what. She took her son's hand and began leading him on to the exhibit about Ancient China. Cody cursed himself in his head for messing up. Here he was, trying to cheer his mother up by being a perfect angel, and he'd screwed it up.

"Sorry, Mommy." He said meekly as he shuffled along, looking up at her face to check her mood.

"It's okay, Cody." Sara assured him, though she wasn't exactly in the mood to go meandering around a museum with a bunch of seven year olds and their minivan driving soccer moms. All she wanted to do right now was go home, get in her sweats, break out a pint of Chunky Monkey, and watch _Sleepless in Seattle_.

Andrea Garrison, one of the other mothers, was walking along just beside Sara and Cody with her own daughter. She didn't know Sara or her son very well, but being the friendly woman that she was, felt the urge to start up small talk conversations with the other mothers. They lived in the same subdivision, though not on the same street, so she'd seen her around the grocery store and Target every once in a while. Andrea couldn't help but sense that Sara was feeling a little out of place, or at least in a distant mood, and decided to work her magic.

"So, Sara. Remind me again what your husband does for a living?" She asked as she fell in stride with the fellow mother and her son. Andrea was afraid she'd struck a nerve when she saw Sara's reaction. Perhaps they were getting divorced and it was a sore subject.

"My husband?" Sara questioned her, confused. Cody's grip on her hand got a little tighter. "Uh...I'm not married."

Andrea's facial expression showed her embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed. I saw you with this guy the other day at Target with Cody, and a girl probably middle-school aged. You all seemed so comfortable together, the four of you."

Sara immediately realized what she was talking about. A week or so ago, she and Cody were shopping in Target together when they ran into the Stokes doing the same thing, and ended up wandering the store together. Were they that comfortable together that people assumed they were married? It was bittersweet to hear. She adored Nick. She was sure she loved Nick. But now he was having a baby with his ex, and apparently he was thrilled about it. All that chemistry, that flutter in her stomach whenever she saw him, and that little twinkle in his eye whenever he saw her, might as well be thrown to the wind. It didn't matter anymore because it was never going to happen.

"We're just close friends." Sara told the slightly nosy mother. She had spent the whole morning trying to forget about Nick only to get a reminder out of the blue. Sara clasped Cody's hand a little tighter and took some long strides to get away from the woman. She was not going to get upset during this field trip. This had been planned for months, this special time with Cody, and because Nick apparently couldn't keep his dick in his pants, she wasn't being the mother she wanted to be.

Sara didn't know why she felt so upset about everything. They had only been dating. It's not like they were engaged to be married or anything. But when she was with Nick, she felt like she was the most important person in the world to him. Was she so dim that all the while they'd been seeing each other, he was still in love with Lauren? And the way he kissed her – how could he kiss like that if he still had feelings for someone else? Sara didn't understand it. All she knew was that she felt like a complete idiot. Everything she'd believed the past few months was a lie.

Sara felt her cell phone vibrate through her jacket pocket a moment later, startling her out of her thoughts. She checked the caller ID as she pulled it out. Speaking of the devil, it was Nick. Sara briefly considered letting it go to voicemail, but maybe she could get some satisfaction out of hearing him stutter and stumble as he tried to apologize. Perhaps she could sneak off to a private room for a moment and give him a piece of her mind. She told Cody to keep going with the rest of the class so she could step away for a moment, and he obeyed.

"Sidle." She answered coldly.

On the other end of the line, Nick was in his living room holding a stack of case files he'd found in his office after Lauren had taken off for a hotel room. He knew he hadn't brought them home, and the only other person from the lab that had been over to his house lately was Sara.

"Hey, babe." He greeted her, clueless as to what Lauren had told her earlier about the pregnancy. "You didn't by chance leave some case files over here on the weekend, did you?"

Amazing how he made no mention so far of how he'd impregnated his ex-wife. "No. I dropped them off this morning. Didn't Lauren tell you?" She practically spat out her name.

Nick furrowed his eyebrows. She really sounded pissed. "Uh…no, she didn't actually. We had a pretty big argument earlier and…"

"Just save it Nick." She cut him off. Sara couldn't stand when people tried to avoid the real issues at hand. If he was thinking he could tiptoe around this, he was sadly mistaken. "I really don't wanna hear it."

Nick was shocked by Sara's bluntness and a temper that had flashed out of nowhere. "Sara, is something wrong?"

She huffed loudly and resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room and then stomp on it. "When were you planning on telling me that you and Lauren are expecting another kid? I mean, I thought you at least would have the decency to tell me, but obviously there's a lot of things about you I was wrong about."

Nick was speechless for a few moments, trying to put two and two together. She'd dropped files off this morning and only Lauren had been there. That was all the thought he had to put into it – Lauren had fed her some kind of lie.

"Sara, it's not what you think." He started to explain, but was cut off by an angry Sara once again.

"I'm sure Nick. I'm on a field trip with Cody, so please don't call me."

Nick wasn't given a chance to respond. The next moment, he heard the distinctive click that signaled the phone call was over. Frustrated, he shut off his own cell phone and threw it down on the sofa.

"Dammit, Lauren!"

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At about one o'clock that afternoon, Lauren pulled into the parking lot of Madeline's middle school, her bags already packed and sitting in the trunk of her rental car. Sitting next to it was a bag of Madeline's clothes, her toothbrush, and a few of her favorite books. She turned off the ignition and lowered the sun visor, then flipped open the built-in mirror. Lauren expertly applied another coat of her red lipstick, then pressed her lips together. Her manicured eyebrow arched in approval of what she saw as she snapped the cap back on the lipstick and then grabbed her purse.

She walked in confidently through the front doors and followed the sign to the main office. The secretary greeted her as Lauren found the sign-out sheet and began to scribble her daughter's name and her own signature.

"Hi. I'm here to pick up Madeline Stokes for a doctor's appointment." Lauren smiled at the middle-aged secretary as she finished, setting the pen down on the sign-out sheet. Her hands were sweating slightly, so she wiped them on her pants leg as the secretary pulled up Madeline's class schedule.

"Just one moment while I call her teacher."

Lauren nodded and sat down in one of the chairs provide. She crossed her legs for a moment, then uncrossed them again uncomfortably. She cleared her throat, then began sifting through her Coach purse and pulled out the envelope that contained the perfect bribery for her young daughter. As she opened the flap and peeked in again at the prize tickets she had hunted down, a smile crept onto her face. Madeline was going to love her again and forgive all her wrongdoings when she settled her eyes on these babies.

About five minutes later, a confused looking Madeline hobbled through the door, her backpack slung over both her shoulders. Lauren had hoped for at least a smile or a hug – something that would indicate to the secretary that she was adored by her daughter, but Madeline offered nothing but narrowing eyes.

"Mom?" She questioned, then checked her watch again to make sure the time was right. "What are you doing here?"

Lauren stood up and grinned first at the secretary, who was actually paying no attention to the exchange, and then at her daughter. "Doctor's appointment, hon. I thought I reminded you this morning." She put her hand on Maddie's shoulder and guided her out of the office, holding the door open so she could pass through with her crutches. As soon as they got into the hallway, Madeline shrugged her mother's hand off and crossed her arms.

"I'm not sick." She told her as they walked out the front door. "But maybe you could go instead, because there's obviously something wrong with you."

Madeline didn't feel any sort of obligation at the moment to treat her mother with respect. And why was she acting like everything was just fine and dandy? Lauren bit her tongue at Madeline's comment. She'd never sassed her before, but she guessed that was what living with her father the last few months would do.

"Madeline, I'm sorry I had to lie to you." She told her as they walked to the parking lot. "I just wanted to get the family back together, but your father doesn't seem to realize how important that is."

Not a month ago, Madeline would've jumped on that wagon and bashed her father right along with her mom. They'd both had trouble adjusting to life without Lauren. It was so hard, and all those months she'd been off having fun in New York and finding new love interests. She hadn't seen it then, but Madeline sure saw it now. Her mother was selfish, and now that things weren't going her way, she was getting very manipulative. How could she expect her father to just roll over and take her back after what she'd put them through? Nick was just trying to protect her. He'd tried so hard to make things work between him and her mother, and now he was trying to move on. It was totally unfair for her mother to just expect him to reconcile and raise a baby together. They were moving on with her lives. Her father was dating Sara, and Madeline actually kind of liked Sara. And she kind of liked her nerdy little son. Things were getting better until her mother had come back. They stopped in front of Lauren's rental car and for once in her life, Maddie was going to tell her mother what she really felt.

"No, Mom." She said quite firmly. "You were the one that left and screwed up this family. Why would you think Daddy would take you back after the way you treated him? And the way you treated me?"

Lauren sighed and fought back the urge to roll her eyes. That girl was turning out to be so much like her father it was unsettling. "Give me your backpack, sweetheart, so I can put it in the trunk." She held out her arm and Maddie just rolled her eyes and managed to balance herself with her mother's help as she took is off. "I have something for you that'll make you forget all about all the hard times we've had."

"I highly doubt it. Did you hear what I said?" She asked in annoyance.

Lauren helped Madeline sit down in the passenger seat as Lauren popped the trunk and set her backpack and crutches inside. She took out her daughter's cell phone and put it into her back pocket for safe keeping. Moments later, she climbed in the driver's seat as Maddie buckled in.

"I heard you, Mads, and I'm sorry." Lauren said half-heartedly and put the key in the ignition. Once the car was started, she turned to her daughter and looked at her, almost sentimentally. She reached out and tried to tuck a strand of fallen hair behind Maddie's ear, but she moved away. Lauren sighed and looked straight ahead. "I guess I was hoping you'd be more understanding than your father."

Madeline didn't say anything and looked out the window as she heard her mother shuffling through her purse. "I have a surprise for you. We're not going to the doctor." Lauren held up two tickets, smiling knowingly. "We're going to the Hannah Montana concert in New York tonight."

Maddie looked at the tickets, her eyebrows furrowing in non-interest. She couldn't stand the teen pop star. Everybody knew that, except her own mother apparently. "Hannah Montana?" She crinkled her nose. "Mom, I'm not eight years old. I can't stand her."

That wasn't exactly the reaction Lauren had been hoping for. Every girl loved Hannah Montana! She gaped a little and examined the tickets she'd bent over backwards for to acquire. "It's the fourth row, baby. Come on, all the kids at school will be jealous."

"Well, that's nice but I would really rather swim in a lakeful of piranhas than go to one of her concerts." Maddie said honestly. How could her own mother know her so poorly? It was actually rather upsetting to the twelve year old that her mom seemed to know so little about her anymore.

Lauren buckled her seatbelt and put the car in drive a bit harshly and secured her designer sunglasses in place. "You know, Madeline, you are just so unappreciative sometimes. I try to do something nice for you, and you just couldn't care less."

"Well, it's your fault you don't know me well enough to know that I despise anything to do with Hannah Montana!" She defended herself. "It's not like I could've stopped you buying the tickets if you never even asked me or bothered to find out what I like."

Lauren was about to start arguing back when she realized that really wasn't the best solution at the moment for what she had planned. She wanted Maddie to like her and to forgive her to get a little leverage here. She knew it wasn't going to be easy getting back on Maddie's good side, but was hoping the tickets would solve everything.

"Fine. You're right." She apologized quickly as they rolled down the road. "I should've found out first what you were interested in. I guess I made a mistake."

Maddie rested her head against the window and closed her eyes for a few moments. Why couldn't she have a normal mother like her friends had? "Whatever. So where are we gonna go now?"

Lauren made a right turn down a road that would take them directly to the highway and McCarren Airport. "Well, I've been wanting to have you out to New York to see where I live and to just hang out like we used to."

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows once again in confusion. "Well…what about school? And what about all my stuff? We can't just leave."

"I already packed for you, baby. It's all in the trunk."

Maddie looked over at her mother suspiciously. This all sounded a little too fishy to be a good thing. "And is Dad okay with this?"

Lauren turned her head and gave her a look as if Maddie had just asked the most ridiculous question. "Of course, honey. He thinks it'll be good for us."

_Dun dun duuun! More to follow._


	19. Chapter 19

_A/N: Thanks so much for your thoughts and questions. I spent a lot of time going back and forth about how to handle this whole chapter, and how to make it believable. I've probably taken quite a few liberties with the law, but cut me some slack in the sake of good drama! There will probably be one chapter after this, and I'm thinking of doing a sequel. I have a few ideas in mind, but let me know if you have any! Thanks, and please review: )_

Madeline squinted as she looked out the window at the rapidly passing trees and houses, trying to validate to herself that everything was okay. How many times had her mother driven her somewhere over the years? Countless times she'd sat in the passenger seat with her mother in control of the wheel, but never before had she felt so uneasy about it. She was sure that when her father had returned home earlier, the two had exchanged some unpleasant words. Knowing her father, he'd probably laid into her and torn her to pieces about the way she'd been acting. Her dad hated lying, especially from the people he was closest to. Madeline was sure he'd stuck up for her. He always had her best interests at heart, though sometimes she admitted it was hard to swallow. In contrast to her father's ways, Maddie was sure that right now, her mother didn't have her best interests at heart.

Maddie turned her head and sighed heavy-heartedly to look at her mother, who was nervously tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. While she loved her mother, Maddie wasn't sure if she liked her all that much any more. She felt a little guilty for having these feelings towards her own mother, but she'd really brought it upon herself. A kid always has a special place for her biological parents, and a certain trust. Madeline was trying to hold on to that sense of trust with every ounce of her being, but with every mile marker they passed, that hope seemed to dwindle further. Sure, she'd said that her father thought that going away together would be good for their relationship, but her mother had also flat out lied to her about being abused. And Madeline knew her dad wouldn't let her leave without saying goodbye. He'd gotten teary-eyed and hugged her for close to a minute when she left for gymnastics camp last summer, and that was only for a week. There was no way he'd let her go without seeing her.

"I wanna call Dad." Madeline told her mother out of the blue. Lauren didn't look at her daughter as she continued on down the road. Of course she wanted to call her father.

"Why's that, baby?" She asked with little emotion in her voice. Her sunglasses shielded her eyes from view, hiding her worrying eyebrows.

Madeline shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with what she felt she had to say. _Because I think you're lying to me again…because I don't think Dad knows what you're doing_. She was a kid, for crying out loud. Her mother was supposed to be calling out her bluffs, not the other way around.

"Why didn't he want to say goodbye to me?" She posed, more indirectly calling out her mother's lie.

"You know how much he works, Maddie. You're only gonna be gone a couple days." She pointed out, wishing her daughter would just drop it. Lauren wished she was six years old again and didn't question anything. That would make this whole thing a lot easier.

Madeline furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest. She was beginning to feel more and more worried, and all her mother was doing was avoiding her questions. If it wasn't a big deal, like she said, she would have no problem with Maddie calling Nick. Madeline abruptly unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled up on the lever that made the back of her chair recline.

"Madeline Elizabeth, what are you doing?" Lauren demanded, slowing the car as she looked back at her daughter, who was now scooting her way into the back seat. Her splint made it difficult, but she managed to maneuver herself over. The backseat of the rental car had seats that pulled down so you could get things from the trunk without having to stop and get out. Maddie pulled on the fabric loop, opening up the back seat to the trunk where she quickly found her backpack. She pulled it into the backseat and unzipped her front pocket, where she kept her cell phone. Only her cell phone wasn't there.

"What are you looking for, babe?" Lauren eyed her in the rear view mirror as she sped along, already sensing what her answer would be. Her daughter's cell phone was still safely tucked in her back pocket, out of reach.

"My cell phone. I don't know where it is." She rubbed her right temple, trying to remember the last time she had used it. Maddie was sure that after she'd been secretly texting one of her friends during her particularly boring history lesson, that she'd set it safely back in her bookbag. She sighed and put the bag back into the trunk and closed it up again. Even more troubled now than before, she began to try to scooch herself into the front seat, only her splint made that pretty difficult. Lauren sighed from the front seat.

"Madeline, I wish you would've just stayed put." She told her as she signaled to get off the highway. Madeline narrowed her eyes and decided to just stay where she was. Sometimes she really couldn't stand the way her mother spoke to her, like she was still a little kid.

"If you would've just let me call Dad, I wouldn't have had to." She pointed out while Lauren drove onto the exit ramp.

"I need gas anyway. We can get out for a stretch and I'll move you back to the front seat." She decided. Madeline's heart pounded in her chest as her mother maneuvered the car into a gas station.

As Lauren got out of the car, Madeline saw a distinct bulge, about cell phone-sized in one of her back pockets and knew immediately it was hers. Her mother never carried her own cell phone anywhere but her purse. Madeline was starting to get the feeling that she was in really big trouble unless she did something about it. She had a few quarters in her pocket from leftover lunch money. This was her chance to find a pay phone and call her father. Maddie tapped her good heel up and down as Lauren walked up to her side of the car and then opened the door. After she'd been helped out and given her crutches, she headed straight for the gas station center.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom." She told her mom quickly over her shoulder.

She could just feel her mother's eyes on her, watching her every move. Fat chance, she thought, that she was going to just sit back and let her mother take her to New York without letting her call or see her dad. After finding out her mother had taken her cell phone, Maddie just knew that her father must not know what was going on.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Nick was having a lot of trouble concentrating on his work as he sat in the evidence room, looking at the same crime scene photos and notes over and over again. No matter what he did, he couldn't get his mind off Sara and the hurt in her voice. And when he thought of why she was so hurt, he couldn't help but get angry all over again at Lauren. Sara refused to talk to him and let him explain, and while he wanted to explain himself, he also wanted to respect her space. She was on a field trip with her son and he knew how important that time was to both of them. Right now, Nick was devastated. He truly felt, deep in his heart, that Sara was the woman for him; that she was the love of his life, and at the moment she wanted nothing to do with him.

A moment later, Nick's cell phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. He took the phone off his belt clip and checked the caller ID. It was a generic Vegas-area number with no caller ID, which was unusual, but he decided to answer it anyway.

"Stokes." He answered, tapping his pen against the notepad he had laying out.

"Daddy?" Nick instantly recognized his daughter's voice, noting the fear in it. He sat up straight and switched the phone to his other ear.

"Baby's what's wrong?" He asked, glancing at his watch. It was only about 1:45 in the afternoon. Nick knew she should be in school right now; in math class to be precise.

"Daddy, I'm at a gas station. Mom picked me up from school early and now I think she's trying to take me to New York and I don't wanna go." Madeline looked around nervously from the pay phone she'd found in the corner of the gas station store, afraid her mother would find her and get really mad. Maddie really didn't think she was in any physical danger, but Lauren was really scaring her.

"She picked you up?" Nick rose from his seat, running a hand through his short hair in worry. He took a step towards the door, and then turned back, unsure of what to think and what to do. Madeline's school required that a child's custodial parent list the people who were allowed to pick her up. Nick had listed his ex-wife, never thinking there would be any problem. That was before she'd moved to New York and started doing all sorts of crazy things. Now that decision was coming back to bite him in the ass. "Okay. Is she there with you?"

Madeline whimpered and felt like breaking down in tears. "No. She doesn't know I'm calling you. She told me not to, and she took my cell phone."

"Jesus." Nick muttered, his heart racing. He headed straight for the locker room to find his car keys. "Alright, baby. I just need you to calm down and take some deep breaths for me. Can you do that?" Nick instructed her. He needed to think about how he was going to handle this. Nick knew he could just go to the police and call in a favor to keep a look out for her and pull her over, but she technically had not committed a crime yet. She'd merely picked her daughter up from school, whom she had 50/50 custody of, though she hadn't used it living in New York. And what if his paternity came back negative, and he wasn't even Maddie's biological father? Would he have any right or any power to keep Madeline with him in Vegas? Maybe Lauren already knew for sure that Maddie wasn't his, and she was taking her daughter back.

Nick decided he was going to assume Madeline was his unless he heard different from Greg. Moreover, Lauren was his child's mother, and knew that pursuing legal action would only complicate matters further and cause Madeline more heartache. Nick wanted to keep the law out of this. He knew that Lauren didn't want to cause their daughter any harm. She just wanted to hurt him.

"I'm trying." She choked on a sob as she maneuvered her body behind the phone as much as possible, trying to shield herself from the people around her. "Daddy, why's she doing this?"

"I don't know, sweet pea. Listen to me. Are you heading for the airport?" He asked as calmly as he could, snatching up his car keys on the way out.

"Uh-huh."

"Alright. I'm heading out now, and I'm gonna meet you guys at the airport. You just stay calm, and go along with whatever she's doing, okay?" Nick instructed her. If Lauren found out he was on his way, Nick feared what she might do.

"O..okay." She said a bit timidly. Nick heard his daughter crying softly over the phone. Madeline knew she was twelve years old and capable of handling her own problems now for the most part, but found herself wanting her father to take care of this for her. While Madeline knew that her mother probably shouldn't be taking her to New York without her dad's permission, she certainly didn't think of this as an abduction. In her eyes, a kidnapping involved a complete stranger taking a child against her will. Lauren was her mother, and because of that she trusted her and didn't feel she was in any danger. Nick didn't think his daughter understood the potential gravity of the situation, and definitely didn't want to say anything to affect her naivety. She was just better off not knowing her mother could be going to prison for this if she wasn't careful.

"Madeline, everything's gonna be alright." Nick assured her as he pulled out of the parking lot. "You're safe with your mom, and I'm not gonna let you get on that plane. I'm gonna come get you."

"I think Mommy's coming." She said a bit fearfully, and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. Everything in Nick's being wanted Maddie to stay on the phone with him because he knew she was worried, but he knew that wasn't possible. If this was going to go down without having to get cops and lawyers involved, he was going to have to do this under the table and off the books. Nick composed himself and stayed strong for his daughter's sake.

"Okay, darlin'. I love you, and I'll see you in a bit."

Madeline didn't miss the slight quiver in his voice. "Love you, Daddy. Bye."

Maddie expertly composed herself after she hung up the phone, and pretended to look at some of the snacks on the shelf near the phone as Lauren walked in to pay. She walked to one of the refrigerators to get herself a water and then wandered over to where Maddie was skimming the candy bars.

"You want something?" She asked her daughter. Madeline nodded and grabbed a Hershey's bar, then handed it to her mom. She could sense that she was being watched closely again, and wondered what her mother was thinking. After the events of the last few days, Madeline knew she could never truly trust her mother again. Their relationship had completely changed, and it didn't seem to bother her mother at all.

A few minutes later, they were back in the car, heading again towards McCarran Airport.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Nick sped as much as he possibly could without getting pulled over. His hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, enough to turn his knuckles white, as he headed to the airport. He was so intent on getting to his daughter on time, he hadn't even thought about letting Grissom know where he was going, or how long he'd be. The phone rang once again, causing him to jump a little in his seat. He checked the caller ID, hoping it was perhaps Madeline again, but instead he saw Grissom's name on the display.

"Dammit." He muttered to himself, then flipped the phone open. Now he was going to have to explain himself at least to some degree. "Stokes."

"Nick, I've been looking for you at the lab for ten minutes. Did you leave the building?" He asked, wandering through the hallway towards his office.

"Yeah, Griss. Sorry, a family emergency came up and I had to head out right away. I was plannin' on calling you as soon as I got the chance, but I had to leave kind of in a hurry."

"Family emergency?" Grissom furrowed his brow. "Is Madeline alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, she's fine. I just…need to go get her from somewhere. It's complicated, and I can't really explain right now. I think I'm gonna need the afternoon and evening off." He requested. Grissom was usually pretty lenient when it came to family matters, and Nick just hoped he understood how important this was.

Grissom didn't ever know Nick to ask for time off unless it was important, and something in his voice told him there was an urgent matter and that for some reason his CSI couldn't explain right now. Though he wasn't exactly happy one of his best CSI's had just taken off without a word, he did have empathy and compassion.

"Alright, Nick. I'll put Greg on your cases." Grissom decided.

"Okay. Thanks, Gris. I'll make up the time later."

The two exchanged goodbyes and Nick hung up the phone. Not five seconds after he'd hung up, it rang yet again. "Grissom, I'll call you as soon as I get this sorted out."

"Nick." Greg's voice stopped him. "It's me."

"Oh, sorry, man. I thought it was Gris calling me again. What's up?"

"I ran your DNA test."

Nick's heart started pounding nervously. He didn't know what he'd do if Maddie turned out not to be his. The last twelve years he'd been living would be a lie, but somehow he knew that wouldn't change his feelings about Madeline. He'd raised her thinking she was his own, treated her as his own, and in his heart and with all his being, he was her daddy.

"Is Madeline mine?" He asked softly, hearing the blood pounding in his ears. Greg scanned his eyes over the print out once again and delivered the good news.

"She's yours. Not a chance that she's not."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

As the bus pulled up in the parking lot of Cody's school, Sara was feeling guiltier and guiltier about her phone conversation with Nick. She'd been really angry and hurt after what Lauren had told her, obviously. She and Nick had been enjoying the beginnings of a great relationship up until a few days ago. Sara loved him, and she hadn't even given him a chance to explain. On the phone earlier, he'd told her it wasn't what she thought, but how many times had she heard that line from someone? She'd heard it straight from Lauren's mouth, but as Sara thought about it, could that woman really be trusted? Lauren had lied to Nick countless times, so there wasn't much stopping her from lying to Sara, someone she didn't care for; despised, even. She'd cut Nick off before he even had a chance to explain his side of the story. What was she doing trusting Lauren more than she trusted Nick?

A few days ago, her hopes had been riding high with possibilities with Nick, and from what she could tell, Nick was thinking about the same things. When they were around each other, they could relax, they could be themselves, and Sara couldn't remember being any happier. She wasn't just going to let that slip through her fingers without an explanation from Nick. All that couldn't just disappear. She understood that if Lauren was indeed pregnant with Nick's child, he'd want to take responsibility and help raise the child, but Sara knew for a fact that he didn't want to be with Lauren. That was long over. It would be awkward to adjust to Nick raising a new baby with his ex, but that didn't mean it couldn't be done. People did it all the time.

Sara knew she was getting ahead of herself. She just knew that she needed to talk to Nick right away and find out exactly what was going on. The bus came to a stop next to the front entrance and Sara quickly stood up and grabbed Cody's hand. School had already let out, so the parents who had gone on the trip were free to take their children home upon arrival.

"Come on, Cody. Let's head out." She told him as she weaved their bodies around others who were standing on the bus. Cody didn't speak, just followed closely behind his mother. It wasn't polite to get off before people in front of them weren't ready and standing in the aisle, but he again didn't say anything. His mom was in one of those moods, only now she seemed hopeful and anxious instead of pissed. That was a step at least in a good direction.

Sara managed to work herself and her son through the gobs of parents and kids, and out the door of the bus. She shuffled Cody along quickly towards the direction of the car just across the parking lot. His little legs were barely able to keep up, but he still just wanted to please his mother so he just tagged along. As Sara walked, she opened her cell phone and began to scroll through the phone book to find Nick.

"Mommy, are you gonna call Nick?" He asked, not at all oblivious to what was going on. Sara glanced down at her son as she hit the down button again and again to find Nick's name.

"Why do you say that, baby?" She asked her son as they reached her Denali. Sara let his hand go and they stopped at the rear of the car.

"Cause you're excited."

Sara smirked and shook her head a little bit at how transparent she apparently was. She reached out and ran her hand through his hair lovingly. "Aren't you observant?" She commented. "Baby, can you hop into the front seat while I call Nick? I need to have a bit of a private conversation with him."

Cody smiled knowingly and giggled as his mother passed the keys to him so he could unlock the door. "Yes, Mommy."

The little boy scampered off and clicked the doors unlocked, then hopped in, closing the door behind him. Sara bit her lip nervously as she hit the call button. If all this was just a big misunderstanding, she was going to feel like a real ass. Moments later, Nick answered the phone.

"Sara?" He answered so hopefully. Nick had just pulled into the parking garage at McCarran Airport, anxiously trying to find a spot. When he saw Sara on the caller ID, his heart warmed a little bit. If his baby wasn't in danger, he might actually be happy.

"Hey." Her tone was angry or cross, which relieved him. In fact, it sounded a bit remorseful. Nick found a spot near the entrance and pulled in quickly. "Do you have time to talk?"

Nick bit his lip as he shut the car off and quickly got out. "Umm…for a minute. Listen, I'm kind of in a crazy situation at the moment. Lauren picked Maddie up from school and she's trying to take her back to New York with her. I just got to the airport."

Sara's mouth stayed open for a few moments after his update, and she struggled to find words. "Oh my God, Nick. I'm so sorry. Did you call the police?"

Nick sighed heavily as he walked swiftly through the parking lot, debating where to go. He had no idea what airline Lauren was planning on taking. He'd just have to guess based on the departing flight lists. "No. I don't want to get the law involved unless I have to. Maddie doesn't need a mother in prison."

Sara turned around in the same spot several times, and ran a hand through her hair. She didn't want anything to happen to Madeline, not just because she was Nick's kid, but because she cared about her a lot also. "Wow, Nick." Was all she could say at the moment.

"Yeah. She's just fuckin' nuts." He told her in regards to his ex-wife and torqued his jaw.

"Listen, Nick. I didn't give you a chance earlier to explain. Lauren told me she was pregnant and you were the father, and I just got so angry and I lost my patience…"

"Wait, she told _you_ she was pregnant with my baby?" It somehow didn't surprise him Lauren was capable of this, but it was still just as unsettling. He hurried through the sliding glass doors and looked up to find any departing flights for New York City leaving in the next hour or two.

"Yeah, Nick. And, I mean, that really hurt me but…"

"That was a lie, Sara." He straightened out for her, clenching his jaw. God, he wanted to throttle Lauren so badly right now. Who did she think she was, messing with other people's lives like this? "It's not mine. It's her boyfriend Jake's."

"It…it's not yours?" She asked, relieved.

"Hell no." He told her. Sara could tell by the tone of his voice that he was disgusted with the whole situation. The very idea of sleeping with Lauren again made him sick to his stomach. "Maddie and I have been finding out the last few days just how conniving she is. She tried to get me to agree to help her raise the kid, but I refused because it's not my responsibility, you know? And then she lied to Maddie and told her Jake was abusing her hoping Maddie would guilt me into helping her. And now she freaking picked Maddie up from school early and she's tryin' to hop a plane with her."

Sara felt relieved and devastated all at the same time. On one hand, she was relieved that Nick was not having a baby with Lauren, but on the other hand, she was of course concerned about Madeline.

"So, are you trying to find them at the airport now?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I just got here. I really don't think she's gonna try to hurt her or anything. She loves Maddie. She just wants to get to me, but I'm gonna try to catch them before the flight leaves. I'll be damned if she goes through with this."

Sara wasn't quite sure what to say to Nick. She couldn't exactly offer her help, because she wasn't near the airport, and she wasn't going to call the police because Nick didn't want them involved. Sara felt a bit helpless, standing outside Cody's school with all this drama going down miles away.

"Well, I don't wanna keep you any longer." Sara said as she walked towards the driver's side. "Just call me if I can do anything at all. Anything."

Nick looked up at the departures and saw there was an American plane leaving in about half an hour for LaGuardia. "Thanks, Sara." It meant a lot to him that Sara had his back. "I'll call you later when I've got Madeline back safe and sound."

Sara smiled a bit at his positive outlook. He was one of the best criminalists in the state, and probably the country, so there was really no way he was going to let his own daughter fall victim to a kidnapping.

"Okay. Good luck." She told him, feeling a bit helpless still.

"Yeah. Bye." He snapped the phone shut and hurried off to the terminal American Airlines was assigned to. If he had been any old regular Joe off the street, he of course wouldn't have been able to get through security without a ticket, but he flashed his CSI ID and they let him through. Nick knew it was probably against policy, but right now he really didn't care. He just wanted to get to his daughter.

Nick rushed past slow-walking passengers, around kiosks and newsstands, and followed the signs to the American Airlines terminal. All he could think about at the moment was Madeline and how worried she was. Though they'd had their share of disagreements and drama, she trusted him, and she'd never needed him any more than right now. He couldn't let her down, and he wasn't sure what he would do if they'd already boarded, or if they were on some other flight. He would likely call Lauren up to give her a piece of his mind, but that wouldn't help Madeline right now. Nick knew he needed to physically intervene because chewing Lauren out over the phone would probably only make her more and more determined.

Nick turned the last corner and found the American Airlines gates in front of him. He hid behind a display and surveyed the area discreetly to see if he could spy Madeline and Lauren. Sure enough, after only a few moments, he spotted them across the terminal, sitting in some of the seats, one empty between them. Maddie was staring off into space and her good leg was moving up and down nervously as her mother read a newspaper. He wondered what Maddie was thinking right now. Nick hated to see her looking so nervous and worried.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Nick stepped out from behind the display and started walking over to where they sat, just hoping all this went down smoothly with no more drama.


	20. Chapter 20

_A/N: Here it is! The final chapter! Thanks so much for those who have read, and especially to those who have been reviewing. You truly rock, reviewers. Muchos gracias to lostladyknight for reading rough drafts of a lot of my chapters and offering suggestions and giving me support! You are awesome to the third power! I will likely write a sequel, but maybe not right away. __**Please visit my author page to vote on what I should write next! **__Enjoy and review!_

As soon as Madeline Stokes saw her father walking towards them in the airport, a wave of relief passed over her. She knew that if he was around, nothing bad could ever happen to her. He was her daddy, and he always came through for her. Maddie could see slight relief on his face, but also, deep disturbance. A smile spread across her face as she stood up fast and hobbled over to him as fast as her splint would allow her, crashing into his arms.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed, feeling her shoulders ease, and all her muscles untense. Nick took all of his daughter in – the feel of her in his arms, the smell of her hair – and as he pulled back, all those features on her face that most definitely came from him. His eyes. His ears. His smile. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead when he saw a few tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, Maddie. I'm here now." He whispered to her, feeling a few of his own tears spill over onto his cheek. Nick pulled her back into a hug, cradling her head in one of his hands as he let it settle in that he'd gotten there in time, and she was unharmed. As he held her, Nick let his gaze shift to Lauren for the first time. Her facial expression was almost too complex to read. There was some shock in there, resentment, worry…everything but remorse. She was just pissed that she'd been found…that her own daughter had obviously ratted her out.

Now that he knew Madeline was okay, Nick knew there was some business to be taken care of. Lauren's actions had been completely out of line both ethically and legally, and he was going to give her a piece of his mind. He shot her a stern glare over Madeline's shoulder, one that would make even the hardest of criminals squirm. Lauren poked her tongue into the side of her cheek and looked away after crossing her arms.

Nick kissed Maddie's cheek and pulled back, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Maddie, I need to have a word with your mother." He told her, sorry that the whole situation had come to this. Madeline nodded in understanding and wiped a tear away from her eye. Nick reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, retrieving a twenty dollar bill. "Why don't you go over to the food court and get yourself a snack." He suggested.

Madeline accepted the money and her eyes shifted to her mother. Lauren held her gaze for a few moments but then had to look away. "What's gonna happen to Mom?" She whispered to her dad.

Nick sighed and gave her arms a reassuring squeeze. If he wanted to, he could have the police called and she could be hauled off to jail for attempted kidnapping, but again, that would only give Madeline more heartache. "Don't worry. I'm just gonna talk to her and she'll be going back to New York. Do you wanna say goodbye?"

Madeline looked down at her feet and then over at her mother. She used to think so much of her, and looked up to her, but today all that had changed. Maddie swallowed and very subtly nodded her head.

"Okay." He whispered. "Take your time, and I'll come get you in a few minutes."

She gave him one last hug before she walked back over to her mother. Nick wasn't sure what she was going to do. He would understand if all she wanted to do was say a quick goodbye with no physical contact, but wasn't surprised when he saw Madeline lean down and wrap her arms around her mother's neck. Though the trust between them had been broken, Maddie was still just a child and loved her mother. She wished things were different, and could only hope that her mom would change back into the woman she adored so much. Nick saw his daughter whisper something to Lauren, and then she stood up. After grabbing her crutches, she met eyes with Nick for a moment. She looked like she was lost and wasn't sure what exactly was happening and what she thought about it. After all this was over, Nick knew they would have a lot of talking to do. Most importantly, he wanted to make sure she felt safe and loved.

As Madeline hobbled away towards the food court, which was about fifty yards away, Nick closed the few steps between him and his ex-wife, his eyes and the furious set of his jaw clearly showing how beyond pissed he was. Lauren rolled her eyes and felt his hand on her upper arm moments later, pulling her to her feet. She tried to snatch her arm away and shot Nick a deathly glare when he only tightened his grip. Wordlessly, he steered her to a more private area. At least, as private as they could get in an airport filled with travelers. Nick found a spot by one of the windows where no one was sitting within ear shot, as long as he managed to keep his voice down. He turned Lauren's body to face him and finally let her arm go with a slight roughness to it. His body had hers cornered between the glass and a pillar, determined to get his point across. Though she worked hard to not act intimidated by her ex-husband, the sight of him leering over her, his eyes like steel, was more than unsettling.

"Nick, you need to calm down." She told him, and Nick could hear her voice quavering slightly. Good, he thought. At least she knew what deep shit she was in.

"Calm down?" His voice was a hard whisper as he fought to keep his temper. Nick's face was just inches from hers, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks. "I get a call from my daughter worried out of her mind on a payphone in a fucking gas station because you took her cell phone from her after picking her up from school without my permission because you were trying to kidnap her and take her across the country, and you want me to fucking calm down?"

Lauren knew this was not going to be easy but she wasn't about to cower in his presence and let him intimidate her. She pushed his body away from her, feeling her personal space was being invaded.

"I did not kidnap her, Nick." Lauren defended herself. "I'm her parent too, and I deserve some time with her."

"I have sole guardianship of her, Lauren, since you moved to New York. She doesn't leave the state with you without my permission. I could have you arrested right now for attempted kidnapping."

Lauren held his gaze, her arms crossed. "But you won't."

Nick sighed and shook his head. She still had the nerve to test him. "Well, unlike you, I choose to put our daughter first. Having her mother sent to prison would be devastating, not that you're much good for her anyway."

Lauren looked away and ran her tongue along her teeth.

Nick took another step towards his ex-wife and leaned in towards her ear so she wouldn't miss a word he was about to say. "You're gonna get on that plane and go back to New York. You will not try to contact Madeline until she decides she's ready to speak to you again. Go back to Jake and raise your baby. But if you _ever_ try to take my daughter away from me again, I will put your ass in jail without hesitation. Do I make myself clear?"

Over the speaker, one of the flight attendants announced the boarding of the flight to New York cheerily. Lauren turned her head to meet Nick's frightening gaze as a single tear fell from her eye. Nick knew he'd come across loud and clear, and Lauren was too proud to even answer. Her lack of response was enough of an indicator to him that she was done fighting. She moved to her right to escape from where Nick had her trapped, and he allowed her. Wordlessly, she picked up her carry-on bag and her purse and walked to her gate without looking back.

Nick watched his ex as she walked away, wondering how he ever loved someone so conniving and selfish. Once, he had loved her with all his being. Back when they were young, he'd been so attracted to beauty and her fun-loving, spunky nature. She'd been fun. She was a firecracker, but he'd loved that energy about her. Marrying her had been a mistake. He didn't love her, not really, when they'd married. It just seemed like a logical step. Over time, he grew up and she didn't. The way she conducted herself, at once so attractive and exciting to him, wore him down and started to annoy him over the years. After Madeline had been born, he tried his best to stick with her; to work at their problems and find a happy medium, but his efforts turned out to be futile. She'd given him his greatest gift, Madeline, but even that couldn't save their marriage. For a long time, he'd blamed himself for not trying hard enough, but as she shot him one more defeated glare from across the airport, he knew having Lauren out of his life was the smartest decision he'd made in a long time.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

With a glass of water and a pain pill in hand, Nick climbed the stairs of his home later that evening. He knocked on his daughter's bedroom door lightly before pushing the door open, finding her tucked up snugly in her bed reading a book. Nick gave her a wink as he entered and walked towards her bed.

"Here, take this." Nick instructed her as he handed her the glass and the pill. Madeline sat up and did as she was told. Nick watched her gulp down the entire glass as he sat down on the edge of her bed. He picked up the book she'd been reading and looked at the cover curiously. "Is this any good?"

Madeline sighed and allowed her father to take her glass and put it on the bedside table. "I can't concentrate on it. I don't know." She picked at her already worn fingernail polish. Nick just nodded and put his hand on her forearm. As he gently rubbed her arm, her slightly teary eyes met his.

"What are you thinking about, baby?" Nick whispered gently. He hated to see her upset, but it was completely understandable given the day she'd had. But he also knew she did much better when she talked about her feelings. Madeline shrugged and sniffed.

"What happened today was unfortunate." Nick began sympathetically. "And you have every right to be angry and upset. You can't keep all that inside, baby."

Madeline sniffled loudly and nodded her head. "I know. It's all just…overwhelming." She admitted.

"Yeah." Nick agreed in a whisper as he watched his daughter closely.

"I mean…just last week I was kind of wishing that Mom would come visit and maybe even take me back to New York to visit. It kind of feels like it's my fault for wishing."

"No, Maddie." He gently contradicted her. "You should never feel ashamed about wishing to spend time with your mom. You did absolutely nothing wrong."

Madeline nodded and looked down at her hands again. "I don't hate her. I wish she was different, but I don't hate her."

"That's good." Nick told her, and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It may take some time, but maybe after a while you can forgive her."

Madeline was silent for a few moments and then looked up at Nick. "Can you forgive her?"

Nick knew he could always count on Maddie to ask him the hard questions. She deserved a straight answer from him. "I really don't know, Madeline. I think only time will tell." He replied honestly. That was the best answer he could give her. As a father, he didn't know if he could ever completely forgive Lauren for what she did, but he didn't want his feelings interfere with Madeline having a relationship with her mom.

Nick looked over at his daughter's alarm clock and saw that it was past nine o'clock. With the long, stressful day she'd had, Madeline needed an early night. "It's getting late, darlin' and you need a good night's rest."

"I know." She agreed reluctantly, scooting back down to a laying position. "School tomorrow."

Nick smirked a little as he pulled her covers up and kissed her forehead once again. "I think you deserve a day off. I'll call you in sick."

Despite the day's drama, Madeline managed a giggle. It was practically unheard of that he let her stay home when she wasn't sick. "Thanks, Daddy." She put her arms around his neck for a hug.

"I'll take the day off too so we can hang out."

Madeline smiled at that. A month ago, she hated being around him. He was way too caught up in his own problems, almost emotionally cut off from her, and now he was back.

"Love you, Maddie. Sleep tight." A final kiss was pressed to her cheek before he stood up and reached for her bedside lamp.

"I love you too, Daddy."

Nick turned off the light and left the room, closing the door behind him. They both needed a day off to relax and recuperate. His relationship with his only child seemed to be back in a good place now and that just seemed to overshadow the day's events in his mind. The events had only steeled in his mind his love for Madeline, and his devotion to her.

As he reached the kitchen, he found his cell phone sitting on the counter, which he'd put on vibrate so it wouldn't disturb Madeline resting upstairs. He checked the screen and saw there were several missed messages from Sara. Nick had promised he would call later to let her know everything was okay, so she was probably worried out of her mind that he hadn't called yet at 9:00. All his focus had been on Maddie and making sure she was safe, fed, and tucked into bed. He hadn't even thought about calling Sara until now. He flipped the phone open and was about to hit dial for Sara's number when there was a soft knock at the front door. Nick flipped it back shut and strode to the doorway. He opened the door to find a worried Sara standing on his doorstep.

"Sara?" He questioned in confusion.

Sara looked like the life had been sucked out of her, the amount of worry she was in. "Nick! You're okay." She muttered in relief as he grabbed her hand to lead her inside. "Did you find Madeline?"

Nick shut the door behind him, feeling badly that he'd caused Sara so much worry. "Yeah, yeah. She's upstairs sleeping. I'm sorry I hadn't called yet. I just…Maddie needed me and I had my cell on vibrate."

Sara put her hand on Nick's chest to stop him. "It..it's okay. I just needed to know that Madeline got home okay."

A touched smile formed on Nick's face. Sara showed so much care and concern towards Madeline, more than Lauren had ever shown. She'd been worried about Maddie. His kid. Enough so to make her show up on his doorstep when he hadn't called. That meant a lot to Nick. "You could've called on the house phone, you know." He pointed out as he took her hand to lead her over to the couch.

Sara laughed at herself a little and torqued her jaw. "In all my panic I didn't think of that."

Nick grinned and pulled her into a warm hug as they stood in front of the couch. "I'm sorry I forgot to call. Really, I was just about to but you beat me to it." He rubbed small, soothing circles on her back and just hugged her tightly. Sara sighed contentedly and held him tightly back. He smelled so good, and being in his arms after a long, confusing, worrisome day felt so nice. After a long few moments, they released each other and sat down on the couch, but stayed close. Nick gently brushed his fingers through her hair as he just looked into her eyes.

"So…Lauren's back in New York?" She asked softly, letting one of her hands rest on his thigh.

Nick nodded. "Mmmhmm." His loving, tender gaze threatened to make her keel over right there. Sara couldn't get enough of the way he could just stare at her, like she was the most beautiful creature on Earth. "Yeah. I got there just in time and put her in her place. No legal action, but I threatened it if she ever tries anything like that again."

"How's Madeline dealing with it?"

He sighed heavily. "As good as can be expected, I guess." Nick reasoned. "She was pretty devastated about the whole thing, but she told me she doesn't hate her."

"Well, she's a very special girl." Sara pointed out. Nick looked into her eyes and his hand fall from her hair to the back of neck.

"Thank you. For caring so much about Madeline." He whispered before closing the short distance between their lips in a tender, but passionate kiss. Sara leaned into the kiss, letting her own hand run through Nick's short hair as he deepened it. Both became lost in the kiss until almost a minute later, when Nick pulled away with a gentle pop. He rested his forehead against hers as they both just breathed. Every time he kissed Sara, it seemed to take his breath away. Nobody had ever had that effect on him.

"I love you." He told her for the first time. Sara let her lips gently kiss his forehead, and then she cradled his head against her chest.

"I love you too."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

_Epilogue_

Nick shook his head as he watched his daughter and Cody car dance in the back seat of his truck to one of the latest Britney Spears songs, the one he couldn't stand. But right now, he could really care less what song was on the radio, because Madeline was so elated, and he was so proud of her. Four months after her devastating gymnastics injury, Madeline had just received an all-around third place finish in the Nevada State Championships, and had received a coveted spot in level nine gymnastics. She had bounced back in no time, undergoing physical therapy and countless hours at the gym after school. He was so incredibly proud of her.

"Gimme Gimmay!" They sang ridiculously, "Gimme Gimmay!"

He heard Sara chuckle from the passenger seat, burying her eyes in her hand at the sound of their two kids singing along. After an initial rough patch, Madeline and Cody were getting along wonderfully together. Cody looked up to her so much, and now that their parents were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, they'd been spending a lot more time together. She would quiz him on his spelling words when they were both being watched by Ms. Jennings in the evenings when both their parents had to work. Nick saw his daughter flourish, having Cody look up to her so much.

Nick cleared his throat in amusement as they turned onto their street. He and Sara both smiled as they saw the delivery truck in his front yard, with workers unloading a new chest of drawers, and a new desk sitting out on their driveway. Madeline stopped singing when she saw what was going on.

"Dad, who's in our driveway?" She asked. Cody stopped also and looked out the window at what Maddie was talking about.

"You'll just have to wait and find out." Nick told her, grinning to himself. Sara reached over and squeezed his free hand. This had all been her idea, and they both couldn't wait to see the look on Madeline's face.

"What the frick!" Cody exclaimed, his mouth wide open.

"Cody!" Nick and Sara both reprimanded him as they pulled up along the curb to leave room for the workers.

"What? I said frick." He pointed out and smiled sheepishly.

"It's just as bad." Sara told him as Nick turned off the ignition. Madeline jumped out immediately to find out what was going on, walking around the truck to look at the furniture. Sara walked up beside her and put her arm around her shoulder, admiring the bronze medal that adorned her neck. Nick had since picked Cody up for a piggyback and was softly explaining what was going on. He and Sara knew they couldn't trust him with a surprise, because he was known to be a blabbermouth.

"Sara, what is this?" Madeline asked as two men carried an oak desk towards the front door.

"Your new bedroom." She told her, giving Madeline's shoulder a squeeze. Ever since she'd known the kid, she'd wondered how the tomboy could live in the frilly, purple, girly girl room her mother had designed for her. Madeline was going to turn thirteen in a month, and the room didn't suit her anymore. As an early birthday surprise, Sara had taken it upon herself to fix that and design her a more fitting room.

Madeline looked at Sara and gaped. "Wh-why? I have a room."

"A little girl's bedroom." Sara corrected her. "You're growing up now, and I've personally never known you to wear purple and enjoy frilly things, so I decided to give you an early birthday present."

Madeline continued to gape and laughed. "You're such a sneak!" She accused her father's girlfriend. "Is that why you kept asking me what kind of furniture and decorations you should buy for your niece?"

"It was for you all along." Sara smiled her gap-toothed smile and put both hands on Maddie's shoulders, steering her towards the front door. Nick and Cody were already heading through the door to check on the progress. Ms. Jennings was upstairs in Madeline's bedroom, helping with the wall painting and transformation of the room, along with Warrick and Greg. She had come over to let the delivery men in and supervise.

Madeline ran up the stairs to find out what was going on in her room. Already, the girly decorations were coming down, and the pale purple walls were being painted over, the gaudy canopy bed had been disassembled, and her flowery window treatments had come down. The new furniture that was coming in was awesome. It was one of the sets she'd told Sara a teenage girl would like. She'd secretly loved that bedroom set, and now it was all hers.

"Oh my God, Sara!" Madeline didn't know what to say. Sara stood by proudly, excited that Madeline seemed so pleased with her birthday present. Nick gently set Cody down on the floor as they surveyed the progress the adults were making.

"Wow!" Cody exclaimed as he looked around. It wasn't much yet – mostly piles of plastic on the floor and a half-way painted wall, but it was the promise of a completely different room that had everyone excited. He then looked up at Nick with a mock glare. "How come you didn't tell me?"

Nick ruffled his hair and smirked. "Because I knew you couldn't keep it secret." He smiled down at him. Sara twisted her lips in amusement at their exchange. Cody was doing so well now that Nick was a regular part of his life. He had infinite more confidence with a male figure in his life, and Nick had even gotten him in to playing catch in the backyard on occasion. Sara had never seen her son so happy and so alive, and truthfully, she had never been so happy either.

Sara was jarred from her thoughts about Cody when Madeline turned and gave her quite possibly the tightest hug of her life.

"Oof." Sara complained half-heartedly through her smile. She gently patted Madeline's back. "I think she likes it." She commented loud enough for everyone else to hear.

"Thank you, Sara." She said with such emotion in her voice that it made Sara want to cry. "You rock."

Sara smiled at Nick, who looked touched also, as she tousled the girl's ponytail. "You're very welcome."

Cody giggled and tried to dodge Greg, who was trying to paint his hair. He pushed Greg away cackling, but couldn't get away in enough time to avoid receiving a stripe of paint down the side of his face.

"Heyyy!" He squealed, but the grin on his face showed he wasn't at all annoyed by it. Nick and Warrick both laughed at him, along with Ms. Jennings, who was working on the opposite wall. As Cody began to rough house a bit with the guys, Nick turned to look at Madeline. Her hands were clasped together under her chin, still trying to process what was going on. She had changed so much, and was such a happier child than she had been months ago. She was more driven, more focused, better behaved, and just so much more fun to be around.

Nick walked over and put his arm around her shoulders, then dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "So, was it a good surprise?"

Madeline grinned widely and looked up at her dad as she grasped the hand that lay on her shoulder. "Very. An awesome surprise."

"Only the best for the new level nine gymnast." He winked at her. Madeline giggled a little and turned in his arms to give him a full hug. He wrapped his arms warmly around her as he watched Cody getting body slammed (gently of course) by Warrick on the new bed. Nick grinned and then turned to look at his girlfriend standing next to him. He loved her so much, and her love and devotion to Madeline made him adore her that much more. They shared a chaste, but loving kiss as Madeline continued to hug him. At one time, his life had fallen to pieces, but now, as he stood with Maddie in his arms, Cody cackling a few feet away, and Sara by his side, he knew the pieces were once again fitting back together beautifully.

THE END!

_A/N: Alright, you 49 people who have this story on alert! Show your kindness and love by reviewing! You know you want to!_


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